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Can Oscar the cat predict people's deaths?

mirror.co.uk

. 11:33, 30 March 2015
• By David Raven

Ten-year-old Oscar has been comforting patients in their dying days at Steere House
Nursing centre since he was a kitten

Meet Oscar the cat who is believed to have predicted the deaths of 1 00 people at a nursing
home.

The 10-year-old tabby spends his days roaming the halls of Steere House and is known by
nurses for being notoriously anti-social.

But the only people the miracle moggy cuddles up to are residents in their final dying days.

Steerehouse.org

Gifted: Oscar the cat is known for his
amazing abilities

Staff and doctors at the Rhode Island
centre are baffled by Oscar’s natural
ability to seek out the dying and offer
them much-needed comfort and
support.

The talented puss has even proven
medical staff wrong on several
occasions of which patients were close
to death.

His gift was first revealed in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 and
since then he is believed to have presided over the deaths of around 100 people.

Staff: The talented puss has proven medical staff wrong

The author of the report, Dr David Dosa told Mirror
Online: "He only comes to the 'end of life' patients who
are near death, I think he is attracted in some capacity to
them.

"I think he probably is responding to a pheromone or a
scent."

He wrote in the report: "His mere presence at the bedside
is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an
almost absolute indicator of impending death, allowing
staff members to adequately notify families."

Oscar also offers much-needed comfort to the terminally ill residents who would have
otherwise died alone.

Comfort: Oscar is a great help to families and the terminally ill

Dr Dosa said: "Lots of families have told me that having Oscar
around is a great comfort for them and their loved ones.

"Whether it's just cuddling up to people who are alone or keeping
children busy, it's really something that the families were grateful
and thankful for."

The tables turned in November 2013 when Oscar suffered a
serious allergic reaction and he was taken into intensive care,
where his heart stopped beating and he died for several seconds.

But luckily, quick-thinking vets managed to revive him and he was
taken back to the nursing home where he became a patient for a

few months.

These days Oscar is back to full fitness and has resumed his role comforting patients near
the end of their lives.

Dr Dosa added: "Oscar is doing well and still comforts patients from time to time. He is a real
miracle."

You can donate to help staff and patients at Steere House nursing home here.

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Steerehouse.org

Today's headlines

28 /ii thelocal.es

'Plane laser' finds Roman gold mines in Spain

Published: 24 Nov 2014 12:17 GMT+01 :00

Airborne archaeologists using plane-mounted lasers have discovered a 2,000-year-old network
of ancient gold mines in the Eria valley in north-western Spain.

The mining network is in Leon province, near the spectacular Las Medulas region, which is considered to
be the largest opencast goldmine of the Roman Empire.

It contains evidence that the Romans diverted rivers to supply the mines with water in the first century
BC. The network of mines, had, however, remained hidden and overgrown for centuries.

Researchers from the University of Salamanca made the discovery using a remote sensing technology
known as LiDAR during an aerial survey.

According to news site Science Daily, LiDAR works by illuminating targets with a laser beam to measure
distance.

University of Salamanca geologist Javier Fernandez Lozano is co-author of a paper on the discovery,
published in Journal of Archaeological Science. "Unlike traditional aerial photography, this airborne laser
detection system allows the visualization of archaeological remains under vegetation cover or intensely
ploughed areas," he said.

LiDAR was developed by NASA in the late 1960s to track retreating Arctic ice and ocean composition. It
can be used in planes or drones.

Fernandez Lozano noted in the paper that the Roman mining study in the Eria valley is the first piece of
'geo-archaeology' performed with LiDAR in Spain.

"Our intention is to continue working with this technique to learn more about mineral mining in the
Roman Empire and clear up any mysteries such as why Rome abandoned such a precious resource as
gold from one day to the next," he wrote.

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'Priest' claims God a woman

stuff.co.nz

'Priest' claim of seeing God as a woman dismissed as hoax

Last updated 10:29, February 23 2015

A supposed Catholic priest's claims of seeing God as a woman when he died for 48 minutes
are being described as a hoax.

The Sun reported a man known as Father John Micheal O'Neal was declared dead by
doctors at the Massachusetts General Hospital, near Boston, after suffering a massive heart
attack but awoke 48 minutes later claiming he had seen God.

"Her presence was both overwhelming and comforting," he said.

"She had a soft and soothing voice and her presence was as reassuring as a mother's
embrace. The fact that God is a Holy Mother instead of a Holy Father doesn't disturb me."

But the Church has poured Holy Water on the claims.

Terrence Donilon, a spokesman for the Archbishop of Boston, told Metro.co.uk they had no
record of O'Neal being a priest.

"We do not have a priest of this name. I believe this could be a hoax story."

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thenewcivilrightsmovement.com

'Sounds Of Sodomy': Ireland Explodes In Laughter Over Anti-Gay Christian Campaign

by David Badash
January 05, 2015 2:53 PM

Tweeters in Ireland are hysterically laughing over an anti-gay group's pamphlet that
warns of the "Sounds Of Sodomy."

Change the conversation, change the world

Share this

"Should children be exposed to sounds of sodomy?"

"Should children be exposed to this beastly obsession with unholy acts?"

"Should the sounds of sodomy echo in the halls of a Christian home?"

A friend handed this to me today. This anti #marriagequality leaflet was being
handed out yesterday - no words. pic.twitter.com/Jnk5A6m7Eb

— Steve Conlon (@stevenconlon) January 5, 2015

Those questions, and presumably others, are part of a Christian group’s campaign to derail
same-sex marriage in Ireland, on which voters will decide in May. They are included in a
pamphlet being handed out, reportedly to much laughter across the Emerald Isle.

"At this very moment the liberal agenda conspires to undermine God’s Word and is drafting
law to allow homosexuals to adopt children," the leaflet warns, urging voters to contact their
representatives.

While it's unknown which Christian group produced the anti-gay propaganda, equality
supporters were quick to mock it on social media so much so that it trended in Ireland.

#soundsofsodomy is now trending in Ireland http://t.co/lnn4sFbBia

— Trendsmap Ireland (@T rendslreland) January 5, 2015

Some advocates for equal marriage even took to Photoshop, posting their responses against
the anti-gay lunacy:

The only thing I could think when I saw the ludicrous #SoundsOfSodomy leaflet
today... pic.twitter.com/dZJpHcZ4DI

— Donal Mulligan (@donalmulligan) January 5, 2015

I've been listening to Robyn and the Scissor Sisters all evening. Is that

#soundsofsodomy

— Will (@Popher) January 5, 2015

simon & garfunkel: the re-up #soundsofsodomy pic.twitter.com/Tqahj71A4g

— Louise Hynes (@ louisehynes) January 5, 2015

How can Ireland be against the #soundsofsodomy? We've won Eurovision seven
times, for God's sake!

— SHANE REACTION (@MrShaneReaction) January 5, 2015

The new album that the Iona Institute don't want you to listen to will be on sale
soon. #SoundsOfSodomy #WithBellsOn pic.twitter.com/FfeHebWGIX

— Cian O'Mahony (@CianOMahony) January 5, 2015

Sodomy and #soundsofsodomy are now trending in Ireland.
http://t.co/IGgN7jew76 What a time to be alive.

— Lamhfada (@Lamhfada) January 5, 2015

On first glance of the #SoundsOfSodomy leaflet, I thought it was warning us of the
amount of #Sodomy that has gone on within the church.

— Aaron Vallely (@Vallmeister) January 5, 2015

The Church to provide children with noise cancelling headphones ahead of the
impending sodomocalypse #soundsofsodomy pic.twitter.com/rp1CaEY1r5

— Paul Reynolds (@PaulFedayn) January 5, 2015

You prob haven't heard #soundsofsodomy, but they are like, reeeally big in Japan

— Liam is ainm dumb (@wp_rathead) January 5, 2015

I can't help but scoff and laugh at campaigns like #soundsofsodomy but I forget
that these people are actually for real.

— Aaron (@BabyMonsterGoon) January 5, 2015

@ciaran_o_connor @buileshuibhne THIS MUST HAPPEN #soundsofsodomy

— Steve Conlon (@stevenconlon) January 5, 2015

Does sodomy make the same sound when practiced by straight couples?
#soundsofsodomy

— Cecilia Fleta (@FletaCe) January 5, 2015

Terror owl’ to be relocated by Dutch falconer

upi.com

By Amy R. Connolly | March 14, 2015 at 10:43 AM

PURMEREND, Netherlands, March 14 (UPI) -- An eagle-owl that has reigned terror over a
small Dutch town for more than a year has been captured and will be relocated.

Dubbed the "terror owl" by locals, the bird of prey has been swooping down on unsuspecting
residents and gouging flesh. At least 50 people have been injured, many requiring stitches.

"The attacks often lead to nasty injuries, including hefty bumps, cuts and scratches,"
Purmerend leaders said in a written statement.

Friday, a falconer captured the owl, moving it to a temporary aviary until a suitable home is
located.

"The municipality had planned to leave the bird alone, but the attacks were more intense,"
city leaders said. "Many residents in the area were anxious to go on the street."

The bird is one of the most common and largest species of owls in the world. While it is a
protected species, city leaders received a special exemption to relocate the creature.

Another dive-bombing owl in Oregon has led park workers to recommend people wear hard
hats between dusk and dawn during nesting season.

© 2015 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, repubiication, redistribution and/or
modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPl's prior written consent.

’Vampire Cult Killings' profiled on Lifetime

dailycommercial.com

Rod Ferrell

Posted: Monday, February 16, 2015 12:05 pm

EUSTIS — A Lake County murder case that generated
headlines around the world, dubbed the “Vampire Cult Killings,”
will be profiled Wednesday on Lifetime Movies Network at 9
p.m.

“Killer Kids” features interviews with local people who worked on
the case, including retired journalist Frank Stanfield, who
included the crime in his book, “Vampires, Gators and Wackos,

A Newspaperman’s Life."

“It was a big story,” the former Daily Commercial reporter said of
cult leader Rod Ferrell, a former Eustis High School student, who came back to Lake County
with a small band of other vampire cultists from Kentucky and killed the parents of Heather
Wendorf — Richard and Ruth Queen — in a gruesome bludgeoning frenzy in their home.

Ferrell, then 17, showed little emotion as state Circuit Judge Jerry Lockett sentenced him to
death for the slayings in 1988.

“I think you are a disturbed young man,” Lockett said.

In 2000, the Florida Supreme Court reduced Ferrell’s sentence to life in prison.

Ferrell pleaded guilty to killing the couple in 1996. He and three members of his cult had left
Kentucky for Eustis to help Wendorf leave home. She was then inducted into the cult, whose
members took drugs, engaged in group sex and drank one another’s blood, investigators
said.

Ferrell told a friend that he needed to kill people to open the “gates to hell,” according to
police.

Charges against Wendorf were dropped when a grand jury failed to indict.

Cult members Howard Scott Anderson, then 18, also got a life sentence after pleading guilty
to being a principal to murder. Both Dana Cooper, then 21, and Charity Keesee, then 17,
pleaded guilty to being a principal to third-degree murder. Cooper got a 17 1/2-year sentence
and Keesee received a 10 1/2-year sentence.

The Associated Press contributed material to this report.

Posted in News on Monday, February 16, 2015 12:05 pm.

© Copyright 2015, Daily Commercial, Leesburg, FL. Powered by BLOX Content
Management System from TownNews.com. [Terms of Use | Privacy Policy]

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'Vampire' robber begged for 20p then bit victim to steal wallet

itv.com

1. 26 March 2015 at 8:37am

The attack happened on Monday 16 March in Chelmsley Wood

Police are hunting for a robber who sunk his teeth into his victim before making off with his wallet in
Solihull in the West Midlands.

CCTV footage has been released showing the suspect pleading for loose change from a passer-by, but
when the 21-year-old reached into his pocket the attacker first tried to snatch the victim's phone, then
during a struggle bit his hand and took his wallet.

CCTV of the robber, who is described as a tall white man,
around 6ft 4ins tall, in his early or mid-20s, and with black hair.
Credit: West Midlands Police

The attack happened behind tower block Linacre House, in
Heathmere Drive, Chelmsley Wood, on Monday 16 March at
around 11.30pm.

The offender is described as a large set white man, wearing a
grey hooded top and tracksuit bottoms, around 6ft 4ins tall, in
his early or mid-20s, and with black hair.

The attack happened at Linacre House in Heathmere Drive
Credit: Google Street View

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Chris Burt, said:

l asking for 20-pence... but
it’s clearly an attempt to
distract him in order to
grab his phone or
whatever cash he
produces.

“The incident was caught
on camera and we've
secured some good quality
images of the robber. If
anyone recognises him, or
believes they've seen the
man, or who may have
been in the area on the
night and saw him, then I'd
ask them to call me

- Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Chris Burt, West Midlands Police

Anyone with information is asked to call the Investigation Team at Solihull police station on the 101
number or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

man , around 6ft 4ins tall, in his early or mid-20s, and

with black hair. “The thief approached the

immediately.

Last updated Thu 26 Mar 2015

10-foot, 300-pound metal rooster goes missing in Athens

yahoo.com

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Police are searching for whoever made off with Rocket the Rusty
Rooster, a 10-foot-tall, 300-pound metal sculpture stolen from its perch outside an Athens
business.

Lexington Vintage owner Bonnie Harris tells CBS 46 that she's saddened by the crime,
believed to have happened Friday night or Saturday morning.

Harris said the rooster attracted attention to the store, which opened in November.

Athens-Clarke County police say the estimated value of the Bunyanesque artwork is $3,000,
meaning that whoever stole it could face a felony.

Harris tells The Athens Banner-Herald that the rooster's installation two weeks ago involved
anchoring the big bird in the ground with rebar stakes. She said her husband thinks some
type of tool was used to cut Rusty away because part of one foot was left in the ground.

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11 obscure ghosts haunting Bromley

04:52 Thursday 23 October 2014

newsshopper.co.uk

Halloween is the perfect time for telling ghost stories and Neil Arnold,
author of Haunted Bromley, has is the man to tell them.

Here Neil shares some tales of the borough’s more obscure ghosts...

The Old Sea Captain of the United Services Club

Whilst Biggin Hill, Chislehurst Caves and more are often talked about
in ghostly circles, did you know that the United Services Club
situated on the London Road was once believed to be the haunt of
an old sea captain?

As far as I’m aware this building used to be the site of a hospital so
maybe a merchant seaman had died there.

The ghost story was certainly popular in the 1980s among staff,
although no-one recently seems to have encountered the spectre.

A soldier in O’Neills in East Street

Indeed, many ghostly legends seem confined to the foggy past - for instance, the Old Drill
Hall in East Street- now an O’Neill’s pub - was said to be haunted by a spectral soldier once
observed by an ex-cleaner of the building.

Midnight limping soldier at The Crown and Pepper

Mind you, pubs are seemingly regular haunts for more than just bottled spirits - the Crown &
Pepper (formerly Tiger’s Head) was also the alleged former haunt of a soldier; although it was
said to be a limping spectre and one which in life may have had its legs blown off in the war.

Although the figure was rarely seen, its footfall was often said to plague a former landlord
who after midnight on several nights was awoken by the limping ghost.

Interestingly the sound of a ghostly horse has also been heard in the vicinity.

Scared in Shortlands

Haunted houses feature heavily in Bromley lore.

One such building was mentioned in News Shopper of July 1999 where two sisters claimed
that their house; Mays Hill lodge at Shortlands was haunted by a spectre responsible for
strange knocking noises and ghostly whispers.

Haunted Bromley: 1 1 obscure
ghosts haunting Bromley

St Paul’s Cray Poltergeist

Then there was the terrified family at a St Paul’s Cray house who were besieged by
poltergeist activity resulting in the apparent possession of one family member following
several sightings of a young boy ghost.

With temperatures dropping to freezing point, items moving of their own accord and a strong
odour of burning, the family contacted the council and spoke of their distress of living in a
haunted house.

Spectre on the stairs

Another odd story emerges from Elmstead where a woman claimed that one afternoon as
she was packing bags in her bedroom her attention was drawn to a presence at the top of the
stairs.

Suddenly she noticed the ghost of an elderly gentleman who telepathically stated, “This is
how I died” and then staggered before tumbling down the stairs.

When the woman reached the staircase there was no sign of the spectre.

Strange floating by the pond

However, when it comes to creepy stories for Halloween, one cannot ignore the strange
encounter involving a couple of schoolgirls at Keston Ponds where a few years ago as they
walked home from school they were confronted by a bizarre floating entity adorned in a dark
cape and a glowing belt.

The Phantom of Beckenham Park

And then just a few years previous, there was the strange phantasmal figure which disturbed
a chap who was hoping to film paranormal activity in a Beckenham Park.

The last thing he expected to see was a weird creature that resembled a lemur but was far
too big and strange enough to attract the attention of an American paranormal-related
television show that in spite of examining the footage could not solve the riddle.

Coal black eyes in St Mary Cray

It would also seem that at the moment the press is interested in stories of black-eyed humans
and one such figure was reported from St Mary Cray many years ago with a mention of a
phantom woman with ‘coal black eyes’ said to stalk numerous avenues and properties in the
area, with ghostly activity also reported in what was once known as The Mary Rose, which is
now a restaurant.

Haunted House in Sundridge

One of Bromley’s oldest ghost stories concerns Sundridge and the local manor house where
historian Edward Hasted reports This time-stricken mansion offers a favourable opportunity
for any daring ghost to play his vagaries; and it does not seem to be neglected: for I was

solemnly assured that noises had been often heard in and about the house, sometimes as if
the furniture fell down and broke to pieces, and that once a lady appeared dressed in white,
with a lighted torch in her hand, accompanied by a gentleman in dark clothes, with a high-
crowned broad-brimmed hat which flapped over the sides of his face.’

Petts Wood Ghost

But of all the ghostly tales I’ve investigated and found over the years in relation to Bromley
my favourite has to be that known as the ‘Petts Wood ghost’, even though it may not have
been a ghost at all.

A chap named Tom was walking home from work one snowy night when at a certain spot he
was alerted to a dull thudding sound that grew louder and louder.

Suddenly there was an icy grip upon his already cold neck, Tom spun around, lashing out
aggressively only to find nothing except a rustle in some nearby foliage.

Tom, his senses heightened could feel his body consumed by a suffocating terror and then,
seconds later the apparition appeared.

It was the figure of a man - darkly clad - upon a great and equally dark horse.

Its hooves thudded on the white ground, causing snow to fall from a branch and onto Tom’s
head and shoulders. In terror he flapped at the snow, and stood, with torch beam cast across
the ground where he could make out a set of impressions as if made by a galloping horse.

There was no sign of the horse and rider and so rather bravely Tom decided to follow the
phantom prints.

Tom trudged on, now aware of a heavy snowfall, when suddenly he was aware of a choking
smoke and flashing lights around him. Tom sped from the scene and in sheer terror
scrambled to his doorstep into the arms of his wife.

It is claimed however that on his journey home, the witness may well have stopped off at an
inn or two and imagined the whole thing!

Ghost-myth-busters: 'Hoaxes and mistakes' explain sightings says professor - do you agree?

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4 Conspiracy Theories That Will Make You Give Up On
Humanity

Cezary Jan Strusiewicz

cracked.com

Regardless of our stance on tin foil hats as protective devices against mind-melt rays (fun
fact: They actually amplify them), most of us are fascinated by conspiracy theories. My
particular favorites are celebrity conspiracies that are obviously insane yet follow a bizarre
Hollywoodian narrative that makes them strangely mesmerizing. They're like popcorn that's
buttered with delicious madness.

#4. Kurt Cobain Is Still Alive And Making Music ... In Weezer

April

1994,
was a
bad
day
for

grunge fans: The Offspring's Smash was released and paved the way for mainstream punk
rock as the Next Big Thing In Music. Also, a random electrician dude had the shock of a
lifetime (I'm not apologizing for that joke) when he found the body and suicide note of Kurt
Cobain.

To list all the conspiracy theories surrounding the Nirvana frontman’s shotgun-assisted
demise is a task too Herculean for a single entry in a Cracked column. If you want to read
about those, hit Google and prepare to get really fucking confused about Courtney Love.

Also, remember to make a big pot of coffee, because son, that trip is an all-nighter. Among
the craziest that you'll discover is that not only is Cobain still alive, he's still making music.

In Weezer.

As Rivers Cuomo.

David Becker/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
This guy.

According to this particularly inspired theory making the rounds, the bespectacled frontman of
the alt-rock group Weezer is indeed Kurt Cobain in disguise, because the first thing a famous
rock star who is clinically depressed does after freeing himself from the shackles of celebrity
is to start the whole rise-to-fame process all over again. Still, you can kind of see some
suspicious similarities in the men's careers, if you squint while ingesting twice the human

Frank Micelotta/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Well, not really, and
once you get past the
"holy shit, that's kind of
weird" aspect of those
other facts, you quickly
realize that there's absolutely no freaking way this can be true. Cuomo didn't just appear
overnight — we have childhood pictures and shit, and Weezer has been around since 1992.
Also, Cuomo confesses to being Nirvana's biggest fan, which would be an unlikely statement
from Cobain, a man who openly resented the band's fame and mainstream status to the point
where he contemplated joining freaking Hole.

body's limit of LSD. Weezer's career-making Blue Album came out
shortly after Cobain's death. They both have reservations about
fame, their guitar sound is somewhat similar, they're roughly the
same age, and, of course, they kind of resemble each other:

Via Heavy.com
When your repertoire
switches from "Rape Me"
to "The Sweater Song,"
your butt-chin is bound
to lose a bit of chisel.

Still, think about the implications if Cobain's maimed remains actually had been someone
else's and the real Kurt pissed off to live a life where he'd never have to play "Smells Like
Teen Spirit" again. Where did he get the body? How did he set the whole thing up so no one
has been able to find out that he's been writing power-pop tunes in a frisky four-man
ensemble all along? And what does he do to the people who inevitably find out? If you ask
me, there's a pretty chilling psychopath thriller in there -- and old Kurt damn well wouldn't be
the good guy.

Chris Hyde/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
As for the protagonist of the story, I'll just leave this picture here.

So, yeah. As an idea for a movie, this is a massively interesting
premise. As for its viability as a conspiracy theory, uh ... let's just
make the most of it by watching the following video and imagining it's
Cobain singing:

#3. Princess Diana Vs. The Royal Reptile Draculas

Let's take a moment to revisit Princess Diana and her unfortunate
demise via paparazzi car chase on Aug. 31, 1997. Right from the
beginning, it was one of those cases that was destined to wind up
with a massive Wikipedia entry just about the scores of
assassination-related conspiracy theories surrounding it. That's always the mark of a good
death story.

Some
say
the
driver
of the

doomed limousine was on the payroll of some intelligence agency or another. Others
maintain that a mysterious white Fiat Uno played a part in the fatal crash. Others still claim
that the driver was deliberately blinded with a bright flash. And that's just the methods -- the
actual reasons of her alleged assassination are so many and storied, the ghost of Elvis would
lift his eyes from the pile of banana-bacon sandwiches he is forever consuming and shake his
head sadly. Then his gaze would meet mine and he'd wordlessly pass me one of his
sandwiches as he realized I'm going to have to write about the stupidest theory of them all:
the one that claims Lady Di was assassinated by royal reptilian vampires because she was

be low/iStock/Getty Images

"That'ssss bullsssshit, man. We were busy canceling
Rolanda that day."

I shouldn't be surprised. I really shouldn't. The whole
"British royalty are Illuminati reptilian shapeshifters" thing
has been around as long as the concepts of Illuminati and
reptilians, both of which are incidentally surprisingly
recent. Diana was (allegedly) in the habit of referring to
her husband's family with colorful phrases like "lizards"
and "literally not human." Sane people might remember
that her marriage was a strained affair at best and file this
in the colorful, writhing map labeled "impeding divorce"
"not everything I say is to be taken literally, you fucking

Conspiracy theorists, on the other hand, gleefully take these offhand remarks as cast-iron
proof of Elizabethan reptilianity, and on this solid rock build their theories about the royal
family being strange lizard vampires that have lived through the millennia by going full
Dracula on people and replacing their body parts bit by bit with stolen flesh while they're at it,
because fuck you, logic.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Though it would explain why Prince Charles looks like he's made out of spare parts.

about to reveal the truth, man.

language. Or, at the very least,
morons" language.

Princess Diana Archive/Huiton Archive/Getty Images

So Diana had enough of that shit, threatened to reveal their secret
to the public, and was promptly assassinated for being a dick to the
Iguana Nosferatu folk that secretly preside over us all. This brings
us back to all those assassination theories, thus creating a layer
cake of conspiracy theorists of varying levels of (in)sanity. I bet
whoever is in charge of updating the appropriate watchlist
appreciates the effort.

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4 Conspiracy Theories That Will Make You Give Up On
Humanity

Cezary Jan Strusiewicz

cracked.com

Most

musical legends who die young at least manage to go out in a blaze of glory, either by
narcotics or ... well, you did read the Cobain entry. Maybe "glory" isn't the right word. Let's
just say they go out in a blaze. Bob Marley was an exception to the rule; He was a fit dude,
full of life. His greatest passion (apart from music) was soccer, and he had enough political,
religious, and artistic motivations to keep him going forever.

Then, out of nowhere and at the peak of his powers, he got an absurdly rare type of skin
cancer that started from his toe and spread across his body, killing him at the age of only 36.

Shit, that got dark. Have a puppy.

Most people take such things as the tragedies
they are, grieve for a while, and move on the best
they can. Some people stare at the poop-
encrusted wall in their basement until they locate
a clean spot, and start to smear it with crazy-ass
theories about poisonous shoes.

Poisonous. Shoes.

Martin Poole/Photodisc/Getty Images

We know they were normal poison shoes instead

of soccer boots because

the poison didn't make him start diving at the

slightest impact.

Here's how the theory goes: Allegedly, the
politically active singer might have ended up on
the CIA's shit list. So one day, a mysterious white
man came to see Marley, bringing him the gift of

shoes. Marley promptly tried them on and described their fit thusly: "Ouch!" This is because
one of the shoes had a small metal spike in the toe. Then, a mere five months later, Marley
was playing soccer when someone stepped on that very same toe. Then, the toe cancer
thing, and a few active years later, a sad and untimely death. Damn, CIA, someone must
have gotten an effectiveness bonus.

Look, no one is saying the CIA never tried to assassinate anyone via ridiculous means. Shit,
just everything they threw at Fidel Castro earned them a permanent Customer Of The Year
discount at ACME, much to the chagrin of Wile E. Coyote. However, if they were so damn
keen on killing Marley, why would they have bothered to off him in a way that literally took
years -- and enabled him to perform and function normally for the vast majority of said years?
Also, people, are we really doing the "government deliberately gives cancer to people who
annoy it" thing again?

Because if we are, holy shit, this would be a political/spy thriller with the best damn
soundtrack.

#1 . Marilyn Monroe Was Murdered For Being A UFO Informant

Baron/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

perfectly logical theory that says Marilyn Monroe died because of crashed UFOs. I mean,
sure, barbiturates did it in the end, but alien tech is what made her death necessary.

It's kind of sad, really -- Marilyn had long dabbled with very powerful and dangerous figures,
and her death was a legitimately mysterious affair that left a lot of room for potential
shenanigans and very real conspiracy theories. And then someone just feels the need to
come up with a goddamned UFO theory, because for some people, it's always aliens.

In this one, someone found (or rather "found") a crummy old "CIA document" that says JFK
was in the habit of showing Marilyn way more than his li'l president, and one of the things he
inexplicably showed her was a top-secret military base that just so happened to stock a
bunch of crashed UFOs. Marilyn's reaction to this ultra-confidential revelation was apparently,
"Oh shit, I'm gonna tell everyone," because all of this is how things work in the minds of
people who habitually cook their brains with foil. Hence, assassination courtesy of your
friendly neighborhood Central Intelligence Agency.

jonaspas/iStock/Getty Images

"Hey, you steal our tech, you lose your babes. It's a respect
thing."

This is the only conspiracy theory that I want to be true, because
the ensuing movie would be the most awesome thing ever put
on film. Yes, Marilyn Monroe was likely just not a very happy
person and had a heavy tendency to overmedicate, but imagine
going full-on nutjob with the UFO adaptation. Maybe cast Steven
Seagal as Marilyn and have him elbow some Frisbees or
something. Justin Bieber can be a CIA agent. Tommy Wiseau
can pull double duty as a director and all of the fucking aliens.
Soundtrack by Nickelback, because why the hell not? That way,
we at least get some enjoyment out of this idiotic thing when we
inevitably riot and set the cinema on fire.

Pauli Poisuo was secretly replaced by the real Paul McCartney in 1 966. Compare their facial
structures on his Face book and Twitter.

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5 B.S. Rumors That Created The Modern World

Cezary Jan Strusiewicz

cracked.com

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U.S. Central Intelligence Agency

understand why Nicaragua is important, you have to look at a map. It's the green blotch:

Addicted04/Wiki Commons

Right there, at the base of South America's umbilical
cord.

Nearby that spot is the Panama Canal -- maybe the most
important stretch of water in the world, as it connects the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and lets trading vessels sail
back and forth without having to go all the way around
South America. The U.S. has had some form of control
over the canal since it was created, but if some country
wanted to dig their own, Nicaragua is where they'd go.

So, in 1912 America sent troops into Nicaragua at the
request of its president, Adolfo Diaz, who was about to be toppled by a revolt. President Taft
sent in some troops, including a marine battalion led by Major Smedley Butler, who at the
time played the war game at hardcore level due to a severe bout of malaria that gave him the
nickname "Old Gimlet Eye", on account of his feverish staring. His first task: to take back the
country's crucial railways and trains. Butler had just 354 men and a 104-degree fever going
for him, but he would set forth trusting in the magical power of bullshit.

U.S. Marine Corps

"Don't worry, men. With the malaria I've got all kinds of shit leaking out of me.

Whenever rebel troops challenged his
men, Butler made them step back either by
bullshitting his way through (this was
probably helped by his death glare) or
waving sandbags in the air and yelling:
"Dynamite!" When he got near the rebels’
headquarters, he put wooden tent poles in
the muzzles of their small field guns to
make them look like 14-inch artillery
cannons, and packed his marines in a tight,
semicircular line so it would be impossible
to see how many rows of soldiers there
were (the real answer was "precisely one").

When the rebels' delegation arrived to see what was what, they found the illness-ridden
Butler sitting on a makeshift throne, and threatening to crush them with his "superior
numbers" and "big guns." Their leader not only surrendered any claim to the railroads, but
asked if the U.S. could smuggle him out of the country completely. Other American troops
soon cleaned up the remaining rebel forces, then left a contingent force in the country as a
friendly reminder that they could crush all opposition with a handful of men and two freaking
tent poles.

U.S. Marine Corps

Smedley later went on to conquer all of Mexico using only a
handkerchief and strep throat.

The Result:

The Panama Canal remained the only transoceanic route
through Central America, and America's biggest economic rivals
were irrevocably screwed.

Over the years, Nicaragua had been in talks with nations such
as Germany, France, Great Britain, and Japan, all interested in
establishing their very own "Nicaragua Canal" shipping route.
However, the potent mix of gratitude and fear following these
events prompted President Diaz to sign a treaty that granted the U.S. exclusive rights for all
transcontinental canals on Nicaragua's soil.

JOHN GOMEZ/iStock/Getty Images

"Shit, you can have Brazil; just don't make me look in his eye."

This right went happily unused, as the sole point of the deal was to retain the Panama
Canal's monopoly, and thus allow the U.S. to control the entire maritime trade in Central
America. It's anyone's guess how the situation would have played out if their economic rivals
had managed to build a canal of their own -- although we might find out in the near future, as
Chinese canal builders have lately been throwing longing glances at Nicaragua.

#1. A Diamond Necklace Helps Spark
The French Revolution

It starts a little like the movie Titanic - with
shady people in pursuit of a super fancy
necklace. It was the most expensive
diamond necklace in the history of
mankind, in fact, commissioned by King
Louis XV, who had died right before the
transaction was completed. Look at this
shit:

Anonymous

Jebulon/Wiki Commons

Each gem was hand-soaked in a vat of beluga caviar and the tears
of peasant children.

In 1785, a conwoman named Jeanne de Valois — known in Paris as
Madame de la Motte - decided she wanted it. She couldn't have
known she was knocking down one of the dominoes that would
result in a world-changing revolution. Or maybe she did, but didn't
care, because look at that thing.

The woman had started an affair with Cardinal Prince Louis de
Rohan (no relation to Theoden). She convinced her lover that the
queen, Marie Antoinette, desperately wanted the necklace, but
she could not personally purchase it behind the king’s back. In order
to convince Rohan to be said middleman, she presented him with letters by the queen
requesting his assistance, and even arranged a brief clandestine meeting between the two. In
reality, the letters were clumsy fakes that the forger had signed using the wrong name, and
the "queen" was a random prostitute Jeanne had dressed up to vaguely resemble Marie
Antoinette. Still, Rohan agreed to make the deal and before long, Jeanne de Valois was in
possession of the hugely valuable necklace.

John Goldar

"This will go great with my offensively flamboyant hairdo.

The Result:

When the first payment for the necklace did not arrive, the jewelers
went straight to Marie Antoinette to complain, exposing the entire
scam. The responsible parties were immediately apprehended, and
that is where the whole thing went mightily tits up. Instead of dealing
with the entire debacle behind closed doors, the king and queen felt it
necessary to turn the trial into a media circus, and had Jeanne de
Valois publicly flogged and branded with a "V" on her shoulders ...
while leaving the nobleman Rohan comparatively unpunished.

Donki13/iStock/Getty Images

They tried to write "very bad woman" but the budget for branding irons was pretty limited.

To understand how this seemingly minor scandal played a part in starting the freaking French
Revolution, you have to look at the context. The country was in the middle of an economic
crisis, and the rulers were blamed for mishandling the nation's finances. So it'd be like if, right
in the heart of the financial collapse in 2008, President George W. Bush had been accused of
using public money to buy a platinum-coated lamborghini. If he then held a huge show trial to
publicly punish the person who was accusing him, would anyone believe him?

Rob Kim/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty
Images

Maybe one person.

That's how this necklace thing looked to
the starving commoners in France.
Remember, Marie Antoinette would go
down as history's most famous example of
an oblivious aristocrat blithely shitting on
the peasants (thus the, "Let them eat cake"
legend). Now imagine those peasants
watching as the ruling class played out
petty vendettas over scandalous luxuries. It became known as The Affair of the Diamond

Necklace, and the masses decided that it was really about their greedy queen trying to get
her hands on some fabulous bling, under the table.

The scandal ruined the queen's reputation for good (despite the fact that, again, she was
completely innocent of this particular debacle) and reaffirmed the worst fears the French
people had about their superiors: that they were incompetent assholes whose greed led them
to run dick-first into financial ruin. The scandals piled up and, four years later, came the
French Revolution.

Unknown

And they all lived happily ever after.

For more of Cedric Voets' attempts at
witticisms or his famous recipes for toilet
wine, follow him on Twitter.

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666 years in the making, is this Ireland's most haunted house?

- Independent.ie

Published 30/03/201 5 \ 22:46 independent.ie

Loftus Hall's devil in the detail

Loftus Hall at Halloween.

Open Gallery 5

Loftus Hall at Halloween.

The photograph taken at Loftus Hall by English visitor Thomas Beavis, showing what is
believed to be a ghostly apparition at the right-hand side

A group of paranormal investigators claims to have encountered "major temperature drops"
and electro-magnetic field spikes at a house said to be Ireland's most haunted.

Irish Ghost Hunters (IGH) visited Loftus Hall on Wexford's Hook Peninsula to carry out
several paranormal investigations this March.

The spectre-seekers found "major temperature drops" as well as "significant spikes" in
electro-magnetic fields (EMF) in some areas of the house, they say.

"Our team is scientific, we don't work with psychics or mediums," Tina Barcoe, Location
Manager and Lead Investigator with IGH, told Independent Travel.

"We go in with our equipment and try to debunk everything before we say it is paranormal.
But there were things that happened at Loftus that we just couldn't debunk."

Those things included mysterious footsteps, readings indicating "an energy source" close by,
and responses on a K2 meter (EMF) "which seemed to be in connection to our questions,”
Barcoe says.

“Our investigation left us with more questions than answers."

Loftus Hall. Photo: Alan Boland

Of course you might say that
such reports are
coincidences, unverifiable,
impossible to replicate - or just
plain hogwash.

But they still make a good
story.

Loftus Hall cuts a desolate
dash on the Hook Peninsula.
And somewhat creepily, there
is said to have been a
dwelling on the site since

Its most chilling story concerns a dark stranger who called to the mansion one foggy night in
1765.

Lost on the Hook, the stranger was invited into the then-Tottenham household, and soon
found himself playing cards and making an impression on a daughter of the house, Anne
Tottenham.

As the stakes grew higher, Anne dropped her cards onto the floor. Dipping down to recover
her hand, she saw that the stranger had a cloven hoof.

Unmasked as the devil, the stranger is said to have bolted through the roof in a ball of fire.

Loftus hall daytime_0339.jpg

1350 - almost 666 years.

theatrics behind the latest tales of terror.

The roof at Loftus Hall. Photo: Pol 6
Conghaile

"The very same roof has been irreparable
ever since," says Aidan Quigley, owner of
Loftus Hall.

Quigley, who acquired the house in 201 1
and has been developing it into a visitor
attraction on the Hook Peninsula since,
revealed the Irish Ghost Hunters' findings
in advance of its seasonal re-opening for
2015 - so there's assuredly a hint of

Loftus Hall has its sceptics, and other buildings (such as Leap Castle, for instance) vie with it
for the title of Ireland's most haunted, but it continues to throw up crashes and bumps in the
night.

Last year, it hit the international headlines when tourist Thomas Beavis, 21, snapped what
appeared to be a ghostly apparition (below) in a window of the Hall.

The ghostly 'apparition' photographed
2014

The figure, claimed to be that of Anne
Tottenham, quickly went viral.

"I zoomed in to find this girl in the
window," Beavis later said.

"I had to take some time before I
showed it to everyone just because I
didn't really understand what I was
looking at."

Sceptics might wonder why the face of the 'ghost' appears sharper than the girl in the pink
top, whether it's a reflection, or just call it a hoax.

Quigley insists, however, that he and his team continue to notice "strange goings-on... such
as light bulbs not working and frosty temperature drops in certain areas of the house."

So is it, or isn't it, Ireland's most haunted?

You can judge for yourself on a guided tour ( loftushall.ie ; €10/€5pp).

Daytime tours are suitable for kids - at parents' discretion, of course - although tours taking
place after nightfall (€15pp) are adult-only.

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7 cows that history won't soon forget

mnn.com

These bovines grabbed headlines for surprising escapes and sparkling personalities.

Sometimes, it's easy to forget about cows. They're just kind of there - big, lumbering beasts that stand
around, constantly chewing and belching, with those mile-long stares. They're a bit like your weird uncle
Walter of farm animals: stubborn yet sweet, a little smelly, a little spacey and always the first at the table
when supper is ready.

Beyond the tired bovine stereotypes, cows are also complex and intelligent animals with big personalities
that often belie their docile reputation. And while not as cuddly or colorful as some of their barnyard
brethren, cows can occasionally be full of surprises. In fact, some are bona fide celebrities.

We've wrangled up seven headline-grabbing heifers that have stepped out of the pasture and into the
national spotlight - and even the history books - over the years. (Our apologies to Clarabelle,
Ermintrude, Gladys, the Cowntess, Milky White, the cows of "South Park" and other famous make-
believe cattle, but we're strictly focusing on the real deal here.) The stories of how each of these (mostly)
celebrated, cud-chewing gals achieved fame are inspiring, odd, even heartbreaking.

An illustration of Mrs. Catherine
O'Leary and her cow starting the
Chicago fire. (Image: Wikimedia
Commons)

Here we have a question for the ages:
Did the most maligned cow in
American history actually do it? And by
do it, we mean did she - whoops! -
kick over a kerosene lantern sparking a
deadly two-day inferno that pretty
much destroyed Chicago in 1871? The
short answer: most likely not at all.

While there really was indeed a Mrs.
Catherine O'Leary who owned
property, including a barn, where the Great Chicago Fire originated, the O'Leary cow - there were
actually five O'Leary cows - had nothing to do with the blaze, contrary to folkloric belief. Essentially, Mrs.
O'Leary and her cow(s) were scapegoats. After all, it was easier for Chicagoans at the time to wrap their
heads around such an unfathomable tragedy -the blaze destroyed over three square miles of the city,
killed hundreds and left nearly 100,000 homeless - by believing it was the fault of a barnyard animal
owned by an Irish immigrant who, according to rumor, was drunk-milking at the time. Years after the fire,
Chicago Republic reporter Michael Ahern admitted that he had fabricated the whole "cow kicking lantern"
bit. Mrs. O'Leary, who claimed to be asleep in bed when the fire started, died a heartbroken recluse. So
what, if not a cow, started the Great Chicago Fire? The jury is still out on that one, as the Board of Fire
and Police Commissions ultimately concluded that "whether it originated from a spark blown from a
chimney on that windy night, or was set on fire by human agency, we are unable to determine."

However, Richard F. Bales, an attorney with the Chicago Title Insurance Company who spent two years
combing through 140-year old accounts of the fire for his 2005 book, "The Great Chicago Fire and the
Myth of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow," believes that a neighbor of the O'Leary clan named Daniel "Peg Leg"
Sullivan inadvertently started the blaze when he snuck into the barn during the middle of that dry and
windy night to smoke his pipe. Catherine O'Leary - along with her mythical lantern-kicking cow - was

posthumously exonerated from any blame in 1997 by the Chicago City Council.

An illustration of Elsie the Cow for
Borden. {Photo: Steve Snodgrass/flickr)

Best known as the jubilant, daisy
necklace-wearing face of Borden and as
the beloved wife of Elmer the glue-
pushing bull, Elsie the Cow isn't simply a
cartoon used to sell cottage cheese.
Before being launched into
anthropomorphic animal stardom, Elsie
was a living, breathing cow - a Jersey
heifer, to be exact - born in 1 932 at Elm
Hill Farm in Massachusetts as "You'll Do
Lobelia."

The real Elsie made her public debut at
the 1939 New York World's Fair, not long after Borden first introduced the popular Elsie advertising
concept. At the fair, Borden exhibited an array of dairy machinery including the futuristic Rotolactor. Fair
attendees, however, were most interested in discovering the true identity of Elsie. Which of the 150
Jersey cows that accompanied the high-tech display was the one that inspired the brand mascot? Under
pressure to produce a real Elsie, Borden reps selected the most attractive - and alert - of the
demonstration cows. And with that, "You'll Do Lobelia" was rechristened as Elsie. The long-lashed
beauty quickly became the talk of the World's Fair and, after the fair ended, she traveled around the
country in a swank trailer making public appearances. In 1940, the same year she made her film debut
in "Little Men," Elsie married her sweetheart, fellow spokescow Elmer, and gave birth to a calf named
Beulah.

2. The celebrity spokescow: Elsie (a.k.a. 'You’ll Do Lobelia')

An illustration of Elsie the Cow for Borden

Elsie's grave marker

Elsie's grave marker. {Photo:
slgckgc/flickr)

Tragedy struck in 1941 when Elsie was
injured in a traffic accident while en
route to a "public engagement" in
Manhattan. Having suffered grave
injuries to her spine, Elsie was
euthanized at her home farm in
Plainsboro, New Jersey. Following a
period of nationwide mourning, the
original Elsie was replaced by a bright-
eyed successor and the campaign
marched on, only increasing in
popularity with a highlight being the live
birth of another progeny, Beauregard,

inside of Macy's Manhattan flagship store.

3. The presidential pet: Pauline Wayne

Pauline Wayne, President's Taft's cow, grazing on the lawn on of the State, War, and Navy building.
{Photo: Library of Congress)

Although a handful of heifers have had the honor of grazing the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,

none have managed to achieve the
same level of notoriety as Pauline
Wayne, a purebred Holstein belonging
to William Howard Taft.

To be clear, Pauline wasn't Taft's first
cow - she was brought in to replace a
recently deceased cow, Mooley Wooly,
who had struggled to keep up with the
heavy milk-based demands of Taft {a
gentleman who appeared to have
seriously enjoyed dairy products) and
his family. Weighing 1,500 pounds,
Pauline - or "Miss Wayne," as she was
called - happened to be prolific in the
lactation department and was kept
around, as both food source and
presidential pet, from 1910 to 1913. When Taft left office, Pauline didn't transition to the Democrat-led
Wilson administration. Instead, she retired quietly to her ancestral homeland of Wisconsin as the last cow
to ever live at the White House.

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Pauline Wayne, President's Taft's cow, grazing on the lawn on of the State, War, and

Navy Bldg.

During Pauline's productive residency at the White House, the Washington Post treated her as a bona
fide celebrity. The National Journal notes that the newspaper mentioned her more than 20 times
between 1910 and 1912, much like "US Weekly would a Kardashian." The Post even bestowed Pauline
with a rather eloquent voice in several exclusive (and ridiculous) interviews. In an article from Nov. 4,
1910, Pauline muses on the nature of fame: "I have been much amused, and I confess, rather bored by
the omnipresent photographers. Civilization has developed so many irritating conditions."

4. The 'Sky Queen:' Elm Farm Ollie (a.k.a. Nellie Jay)

ERNSEYS ARE ALWAYS AHEAD

Elm Farm Ollie as she boarded an airplane.
(Photo: DairyMoos)

Sure, she didn't jump over the moon but
Elm Farm Ollie got as close to the heavens
as an otherwise ordinary dairy cow can get
when she became the first bovine
passenger to fly in an airplane on Feb. 18,
1930. And not only did the Bismarck,
Missouri-born gal -the 1,000-pound
Guernsey also went by "Nellie Jay" - make
history as the first cow to fly ... she was
also the first cow to get milked while en
flight. Impressive!

Elm Farm Ollie as she boarded an airplane , , .

The sky-high milking session took place

during the International Air Exposition in St. Louis, the same city where Ollie ended her 72-mile journey
from Bismarck aboard a Ford Trimotor piloted by Claude M. Sterling. During the relatively short flight,
Ollie, with the assistance of a steady-handed gentleman named Elsworth W. Bunch, produced 6 gallons
of milk. The milk was then placed in individual paper cartons and parachuted over St. Louis during the
plane's approach. But seriously, can you imagine this happening today?

While the whole thing served as one giant, attention-grabbing publicity stunt for the air show, Ollie's
journey was not purely spectacle: her behavior, along with the plane's performance, were both

monitored throughout the flight. Thanks to the bravery of Ollie, livestock is still transported by air to this
day with varying degrees of success.

5. The cow-on-the-lam: Cincinnati Freedom (a.k.a. Charlene
Mooken)

While we'll never know what exactly was going through the mind of a
nameless, middle-aged Charolais cow the day she hopped over the
six-foot-tall perimeter fence of a Cincinnati slaughterhouse and made a
run for it. Maybe she knew. Maybe she didn't. Maybe she'd been
reading up on her Camus: "The only way to deal with an unfree world
is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of
rebellion."

Whatever the case, the cow's daring escape and her subsequent 11-
day standoff with animal control officials in February 2002 captivated
not only Cincinnati residents but the entire the nation; everyone, even
the steak lovers amongst us, rooted for her {and a happy ending).
When the brazen bovine was eventually tranquilized and taken into
custody by the SPCA, she became an overnight folk hero and was
brandished with the name Charlene Mooken. {Cincinnati's mayor at the
time was Charlie Luken). There was no way she was being sent back to the place from which she bolted,
but finding an appropriate forever home for this feisty gal wasn't so simple.

Eventually, New York-based pop-art icon and environmentalist Peter Max stepped in with a donation of
$18,000 worth of original paintings to the SPCA - a sum that enabled Charlene, renamed by Max as
Cincinnati "Cinci" Freedom, to spend the rest of her days in a safe and loving environment amongst
other rescued farm animals. And so, in April 2002, Cinci made the journey from Ohio to Farm
Sanctuary's facility in New York's Finger Lakes region where she spent the next several years socializing
with new friends, grazing in the pastures and reflecting on that one time when she escaped certain death
and eluded the authorities in suburban Ohio for nearly two weeks. Cinci was euthanized in December
2008 after being diagnosed with spinal cancer. In the years since Cinci's escape, other slaughterhouse-
bound cows have earned themselves badass fugitive status including the Unsinkable Molly B and
Yvonne, a dairy cow from Germany who, after a daring getaway from a Bavarian farm in 2011, spent
three months hiding out in the forest with a herd of deer before surrendering to authorities.

Maudine Ormsby in 1926 on the campus of Ohio
State University. {Photo: Ohio State University)

In 1926, Maudine Ormsby, a rather homely farm girl
with big brown eyes and a sweet disposition, was
named Ohio State University's homecoming queen.
Nominated by her peers in the College of Agriculture,
Maudine gladly participated in the homecoming
parade in which she rode through town on the back of
a float with a crown perched atop her head. She was,
however, a no-show at that night's big dance - and
not because she was too modest, too meek or too
much of a lady to shake her sizable caboose on the
dance floor to the "Muskrat Rumble." Maudine's
absence from the homecoming dance mainly revolved
around the fact that she was, well, a Flolstein.

Cincinnati Freedom, a cow who escaped
from the slaughterhouse in 2002

Maudine's coronation as 1926 homecoming queen resulted from some rather blatant electoral fraud
{1 2,000 votes were cast in a school with an enrollment of less than 10,000). The actual winner of the
crown, a non-bovine beauty named Rosalind Morrison, bowed out due to the shady nature of the
election. The runner-up, Maudine Ormsby, apparently had no qualms with voting discrepancies and, in
turn, was named homecoming queen.

Based on her appearance in the parade, OSU officials had a sense of humor about the shenanigans.
They did, however, draw a line at permitting a cow to attend a school dance. And so, Maudine spent that
night in the comfort of her barn. Despite her banishment from the dance, the memory of Maudine
Ormsby, the cow who became homecoming queen, lives on at OSU - there's even a conference room at
the student union named in her honor.

7. The cow in a predicament: Grady

It's a story that inspired children's books, put the farming community of
Yukon, Oklahoma, on the map (sorry, Garth Brooks) and prompted a
very tricky question concerning livestock logistics: how does one go
about freeing a 1,200-pound cow that's trapped inside of a steel-
encased grain silo? Try axel grease, sedatives, rope, a ramp and
pushing. Lots and lots of pushing.

In the winter of 1949, Grady, a 6-year-old Hereford cow, found herself in
a pickle. After being tied down during a difficult birth that yielded a
stillborn calf, the disoriented cow charged at owner Bill Mach, who
managed to jump out of the way to safety. During the confusion, Grady
somehow managed to charge her way through a 17-inch wide, 25-inch-
tall (!) feed opening that led from a shed and into the silo.

Grady's plight captured the attention of the nation - sort of a bovine take
on the Baby Jessica story. National news media descended on Yukon
as did dozens of looky-loos and folks offering creative solutions as to how to get Grady out of the silo,
unharmed, as demolishing the structure was out of the question. After three days, it was ultimately
decided that Grady, who spent her time in the silo merrily munching on grain, would have to come out
the way she came in. With the help of Ralph Partridge, farming editor for the Denver Post, a sedated
Grady was covered with about 10 pounds of axel grease - a team of men pushed the slippery beast
from behind while more men pulled on ropes attached to her halter. And with that, she squeezed through
the small silo opening with nary a scratch. Even after her liberation from the confines of the silo, well-
wishers continued to flock to Yukon to pay their respects to Grady, who went on to birth several healthy
calves before passing away from old age in 1961. The silo was razed in 1997.

Photos:

Cincinnati Freedom: Wikimedia Commons
Grady: Amazon

The COW

VheSILO

GIAST'S FUNMY A.DV1NTUBF

The cover of a book about Grady the
cow

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A Cold Case in Nickelsville - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

by admin • March 13, 2015

It was a mild and balmy May evening when services ended at Culbertson's Chapel, in Nickelsville,
Virginia. Everson “Red” Collins attended and afterward visited with friends at the home of Kelly “Buster”
or “Buck” Vermillion. Collins stated he was going home between 11:10 and 11:15. He left, but he never
went home. His body was discovered early the next morning, beside the road, near the church he
attended.

Discovery

Mrs. Joe Culbertson was outside early on May 6, 1940. She went about her typical morning duties, but
this morning would be different. Around 8 am, she noticed a body by the road. She summoned
Constable C. P. Broadwater. Broadwater examined the scene and the body, and concluded it was likely
a suicide. He reported the death to the Scott County police and a cursory investigation ensued.

A .38 pistol lay near the body, a pack of cigarettes was on the body, his shirt was partially opened, but
there were no signs of struggle or foul play. The coroner's jury ruled it a suicide later that same day.
Witnesses were interviewed, the details explored, but the information didn’t add up. The original time of
death was given an unbelievably broad window, sometime between 1 1:00 pm Sunday night, and 8:00
am Monday morning.

Collins was supposed to have been married the following Wednesday. None of his friends suspected he
was downcast or despondent. The bullet wound on the left side of Collins's chest also made the suicide
theory uncertain. The authorities were left with many questions and no possible answers.

The Investigation Continues

Town Marshal Clifford Davidson wasn’t comfortable with the investigation's dead end. He sent a request
to C. L. Lineback at the Kingsport Police Department in Tennessee. Linebackwas an identification expert
and Davidson believed he could shed new light on the case.

The authorities continued to go back and forth between ruling the death a suicide or a homicide. On May
9, the authorities reported the incident was a homicide and Sheriff George Williams declared arrests
were imminent. On May 10, Deputy L. F. Broadwater declared there was no evidence of murder and the
case was closed. Reports stated the county questioned two youths, at that point, but there were no
grounds to suspect them of murder.

The gun near his body was that of his brother's. A single bullet had been fired from the chamber. Two
young men, believed to be those questioned by the authorities, stated they saw him with the weapon
before church on his last night alive.

Confusion

The case again made the newspapers on May 12. Charles Jennings and Cecil Easterling prepared for
their preliminary hearing. The hearing was scheduled for May 13, but both men were freed on $1 ,000
bonds. The hearing was before Justice Martin B. Compton.

Lineback concluded his own examination. He performed a paraffin test to see if Collins's hands bore
gunpowder residue. Had he fired the weapon, it would have left traces of gunpowder behind. The test
was negative. Collins did not fire the gun.

Broadwater dropped the investigation on Monday evening, after the jury returned the verdict of suicide.
The investigation was renewed the next day, with Deputy E. N. Fleenor joining the search. By

Wednesday, Collins's wedding day, Sheriff Williams and Deputy Ervin Starnes were all involved in the
case.

That Night

The authorities pieced together a picture of what transpired that evening. Collins attended church as he
normally did. In attendance with him was Charles Jennings, Cecil Easterling, Lucy Moore, and Zelma
Meade. These four individuals walked to Lucy Moore's home after church.

Buster Vermillion and Clara Culbertson, friends of Collins, also attended the church service. The two
eventually married. Collins walked to the Vermillion household with them.

The three socialized for a period and Collins said he was going home. Collins didn't go home, however.
Rather than walking in the direction of his house, he reversed and went back towards Culbertson's
Chapel.

No one saw him alive again. Later on, it was revealed that Collins asked Jennings to walk Lucy Moore to
her home. He wanted to dispel suspicions that they would be married Wednesday. The reason for this
has been lost to time.

The Mystery Deepens

The case remains a mystery. Witnesses in the area reported seeing a flash of light from the direction of
the church later that night, but no sound was heard.

There remains the question of where Collins was going that night. We are left to wonder if someone
chased him in that direction, or if he met someone. His shirt was open, but that could be expected of
someone walking several miles a warm night, particularly if they wore their “Sunday best.” Rumors went
through the community that Collins was actually murdered elsewhere and dropped by the road so there
wouldn't be any trace evidence or signs of fight near the body.

While it didn't seem to arouse suspicion, it was curious he decided to carry a weapon on the very day he
died, and that he didn't want anyone knowing he was going to marry Moore. We're left to wonder if he
was embroiled in something that could've negatively affected those connected to him.

No further proceedings ever came about. Jennings and Easterling were never prosecuted, and their
possible criminal involvement with Collins was never established. Collins's death remains a cold case.

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Did Adolf Hitler flee here after ’FAKING death?’ Secret Nazi
hideout discovered in jungle

express.co.uk

THIS picture could show the secret Nazi hideout Adolf Hitler fled to after "faking his
death".

By Dion Dassanayake
PUBLISHED: 21:03, Mon, Mar 23, 2015

Archaeologists have discovered
an outpost in a remote jungle in
Argentina which is believed to
have been built for some of the
Fuhrer's top aides.

German coins from 1938 to 1944
were found in the hideout and
experts predict the Nazis created
the building as a safe haven in
the event of their defeat.

It comes after a Nazi-hunting
author claimed Hitler faked his
death and then fled to Paraguay via Argentina before settling in a small Brazilian town.

In her book Hitler in Brazil - His Life and His Death, Simoni Renee Guerreiro Dias claimed the
evil dictator did not die at the end of the Second World War.

The Nazis had a secret project to
build shelters for top leaders in the
event of defeat

Archaeologist Daniel Schavelzon

Instead of committing suicide with wife
Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker on April 30
1945 Ms Dias says she has EVIDENCE
Hitler lived until he was 95.

She wrote in her conspiracy theory book
that Hitler assumed the name of Adolf
Leipzig in Brazil and had a black

Ms Dias claimed Hitler was known to the 12,000 locals in the town of Nossa Senhora do
Livramento as "the Old German".

Central to her claims is a grainy picture which the conspiracy theorist said shows Hitler with
his Brazilian girlfriend Cutinga prior to his death.

YOUTUBE

Ms Dias insisted that Hitler was using his lover Cutinga
to hide his true identity as a vile Aryan supremacist.

Speaking in January 2014, the author demanded that the
dictator's remains were exhumed and his DNA tested
tested against his living relatives.

At the time she told journalists in Brazil: "I just laughed at
first, I thought it was a joke.

"Today I'm convinced it is true and Adolf Hitler didn't end
up here by chance."

GLOBO

suspected Nazi outpost which Hitler may have fled to after allegedly faking his death was
discovered in a remote jungle in Argentina.

Speaking to Clarin, archaeologist team leader Daniel Schavelzon said: "Apparently, halfway
through the Second World War, the Nazis had a secret project to build shelters for top
leaders in the event of defeat - inaccessible sites in the middle of deserts, in the mountains,
on a cliff or in the middle of the jungle like this."

The stone building was built just across the Rio Parana from Paraguay and is situated near
the Brazilian border.

Local legend has it that Martin Bormann, Hitler’s private secretary, built a different hideout
elsewhere in the region.

Argentina was one of the South American countries that Nazis fled to to avoid prosecution
after the end of the Second World War.

The Third Reich's Dr Josef Mengele and Adolf Eichman found refuge in the country.

Then Argentinian President Juan Domingo Peron let Nazi war
criminals live with full citizenship and often under false names.

Conspiracy theorists have long argued Hitler escaped from
Germany and fled to south America.

The most recent claims by Ms Dias have been rubbished by
academics.

Candido Moreira Rodrigues, a history professor at Mato
Grosso's Federal University said: "There's nothing new in
people who claim to be historians coming up with the most far-
reaching theories about Hitler supposedly living in south
ap America and subsequently dying in one of the countries in this

region."

15 Comments

terrencehealyNEW3 days ago

After the Fall of the Soviet Union, the KGB archives were opened and they had the Jawbone
and part of the skull from where hitlers body had been burned. They also had Hitlers dental
records which showed one of a kind dental work that matched it perfectly. There were
witnesses in the bunker that stated they took cyanide and shot themselves. These witnesses
also attested to carrying the bodies outside to be burned. I am sorry but, that proves Hitler
died without a doubt.
richardrumboldNEW5 days ago

Hitler and his black girl friend had a lovely baby boy called "Bad-luck Johnathan" who runs
Rhodesia: the resemblance is magical; just look at the "tash".His grandson "Good-luck
Johnathan" is running Nigeria: surely-don't call me Shirley- you see the resemblance?

His great grandson is set to be the future dictator of England: Chukkit Away somethng?

Rob ThailandNEW6 days ago

Yes I met him and asked him what about his future? He said he was going to make a
comeback but next time there would be no more Mr Nice guy!
sunbirdNEW7 days ago

NONSENSE NONSENSE and MORE NONSENSE.
florence4NEW7 days ago

Hitler is hiding in the Hadron Collider waiting for the next train.

Rex34NEW7 days ago

Anyone who has studied Hitler would know he would never be so familiar in a photo unless it
was with children. Faked deaths, secret hideouts, black girlfriends?? Please. The man stayed
for the final curtain and went down with his ship as it should have been.
rutto_bNEW5 days ago

Problem is Rex you can't prove that theory either.

Anthony JusticeNEW7 days ago

The last I heard, our Adolf was seen out in Neasden shopping with Elvis at Tesco.
northumbrianNEW8 days ago

It has been said that the president is his long lost daughter Herr Flickess

kudos7777.NEW8 days ago

Yep he was my neighbour at some point the c*nt,he still hasn't returned my power drill.
ETrosonNEW9 days ago

Ok. Another news from Argentina. I am waiting for the next one. In the meantime a little bit of

geography, because Matto Grosso is in Brasil. Why not accusing Brasil of nazism? Their

jungle is far more large and it has hidden many nazis. Why now the opinion-forming are

focussing on Argentina?

notaracistNEWIO days ago

Sells a lot of books

FreddyNEWIO days ago

Yes, Argentina can most definitely hide its head in shame with their history of harbouring
Nazis after the war. We should have given them a bit of extra arse kicking for it during the
Falklands campaign without a shadow. Next time the dross coughs we should seriously think
of exocetting all their mainland military instalations in a oner big time with our subs with the
absence of carriers at the mo.

DonReefNEW23 hours ago

For your info, a lot of nazi scientists and experts were moved to and housed in America, so
those lovely Americans could learn how to improve their rocket technology. They did the
same with Japanese torturers, no doubt to improve their own torture methods. This
information is there and public.

CAMERONSENDNEWIO days ago

Hope cameron dissapears in the jungle, after he loses the election.

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ALIENS found 25 miles up in stratosphere could be the ORIGIN

OF LIFE express.co.uk

A SCIENTIST claims he has found 'alien' organisms 25 miles above earth which could
solve the riddle of how life on earth began.

By Alix Culbertson

PUBLISHED: 08:36, Tue, Apr 7, 2015

Milton Wainwright, a researcher
at the University of Sheffield,
says the organisms discovered
by balloons sent into the
stratosphere - the furthest any
organism has been found away
from earth - tested positive for
DNA and are "six times bigger
than the size limit of a particle
which can be elevated from
Earth to this height".

His claims come two years after
he maintained microorganisms,
thought to be a type of algae, found 1 6 miles above the Earth's surface were not of this
world.

Professor Wainwright's newest claim was revealed after one of his students posted an e-mail
announcing the discovery on social networking website Reddit.

He told Motherboard, Vice magazine's online tech channel: "These organisms are biological,
have a definite structure and are not related to organisms on Earth.

"We sent balloons and a sampler and found no pollen or grass, nothing up there to
contaminate, it was completely pristine.

"There are impact events on the sampler. They make craters on the sampler - if they come up
from Earth, they would be coming against gravity."

He said this is why he believes the organisms are coming from space.

A paper he has written on his newest findings has been accepted in an "international
astrobiology journal", according to the professor, but he has not said which one.

Although many scientists think he does not have enough evidence, few said he is entirely
wrong and if he can prove he is correct, his discovery has the potential to change what we
know about the origins of life on Earth.

University of Sheffield- University of Buckingham

He added that comets could be
the source of life throughout the
universe and could be the origin
of life altogether.

Professor Wainwright added:
"NASA is going to have to show
it for people to ultimately believe
it.

"If NASA printed it, people would
believe it. All we can do is keep
putting it out, keep publishing,
hope someone will look into it."

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12:49PM BST07 Apr 2015

telegraph.co.uk

Wednesday 08 April 2015 |

American Pie: 6 crazy conspiracy theories

Don McLean has finally revealed the meaning of his song American Pie. But will
conspiracy theorists ever abandon these interpretations?

Is Don McLean's 'American Pie' about the assassination of JFK? Is Don
McLean's 'American Pie'aboutthe assassination of JFK? Photo: Rex
Features Photo: Rex Features

Forty-four years after American Pie
was released, Don McLean has
finally revealed what those
notoriously bewildering lyrics really
mean.

McLean's original manuscript and
notes to "American Pie" sold at
auction for $1.2 million today. In an
interview for the accompanying
catalogue, McLean said: "Basically
in American Pie things are heading
in the wrong direction.”

"It [life] is becoming less idyllic. I
don't know whether you consider

that wrong or right but it is a morality song in a sense."

Don McLean reveals secrets behind American Pie

The notes also hint at another, redemptive verse to the song, which was not included in the
final recording. The verse describes McLean falling to his knees in prayer and saying: "And I
promised to give all I have to give/ If only he would make the music live again." His prayers
are then answered: "and the music lived again" or "was reborn", depending on which version
you are reading.

The handwritten manuscript revealing a previously unseen verse for 'American Pie'

The catalogue then ends the debate about some of the cultural references in the song: "the
king" can safely be assumed to refer to Elvis Presley; Helter Skelter refers to the Charles
Manson murders; and "the jester on the sidelines in a cast" is Bob Dylan.

But will any of this put an end to the many theories that have emerged over the years? Here
are some of the crazier theories about the meaning of Don McLean's number one single.

1 ) It's all about the destruction of America

In light of McLean's revelations, this theory is given added weight. The chorus is the best

place to look for evidence to support this theory. "So bye bye, Mis American Pie" is thought to
refer to the expression, "as American as apple pie". McLean might here be lamenting the
passing of simpler times, with apple pie symbolising an era of American history, unsullied by
technological progress.

The lyric "Drove my Chevy to the levee" backs up this idea: the Chevrolet was a symbol of a
quaint, innocent America in the Fifties. One author has taken this theory a step further:
"Most folks don't have much need to drive their cars to literal 'levees' today, but this word is
from Old French 'levee', from feminine past participle of 'lever', to raise. And we all drive our
cars to levers every week or so, the levers at the gas pumps. And this song predicts that
those levers will run dry one day, and when they do, America’s people will lose all hope and
expect to die."

Contrary to popular belief, "America Pie" was not the name of the aircraft on which Buddy
Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson died in 1959.

2) It's a warning against violent uprisings

"And as I watched him on the stage/ my hands were clenched in fists of rage/ No angel born
in hell/ Could break that Satan's spell/ And as the flames climbed high into the night/ To light
the sacrificial rite/ 1 saw Satan laughing with delight/ The day the music died". These lyrics
refer to the performance of Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones at Altamont in 1969. The
crowd violence marked the end of a decade and the end of "peace and love". The band
continued playing despite the unrest. There had also been protests at the previous year's
Miss America beauty competition.

As US TV and radio personality Glenn Beck says: "They [the youth of the Sixties] were a
generation lost in space. Remember, the space race was also going on. There was nowhere
left to go. Their momentum was fading and the decade was gone. And so was America."

Mick Jagger from The Rolling Stones perform at Altamont in 1969 (AP)

3) It predicts the satanic Communist take-over of America

Apparently if you just read the
following lyrics from the song,

substituting the words "the music"
for "America", it is clear that
McLean is singing about "a satanic
communist take-over of America
after a nuclear explosion has
destroyed the ecosystem".

Right, here goes: "bad news on the
doorstep... the levee was dry... your
mortal soul... while the King was
looking down the jester stole his
thorny crown... while Lenin read a book of Marx... eight miles high and falling fast... with no
time left to start again... fire is the Devil's only friend... no angel born in hell could break that
Satan's spell... the flames climbed high into the night to light the sacrificial rite... Satan
laughing with delight... the sacred store... in the streets the children screamed... the church
bells all were broken... the Father, Son and Holy Ghost caught the last train for the coast...".

4) It's about Obama's foreign policy

"But February made me shiver/ With every paper I'd deliver/ Bad news on the doorstep",
sang McLean in 1971. Decades later, President Obama apparently ordered air strikes
against Pakistan in February 2009. Er, join the dots.

5) It's about the assassination of JFK.

"And the three men I admire most/ The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost", could be a
straightforward biblical reference or it could refer to John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King and
Bobby Kennedy, three hugely influential figures, all of whom were assassinated. Could Lee
Harvey Oswald be the "jester who stole his [JFK's] thorny crown"?

6) It laments the death of God

"The church bells all were broken", might refer to the death of religion in America, a subject
widely discussed amid an uprising in Eastern religions, and which Time Magazine wrote
about in 1966 under the headline "Is God Dead?". Jim Fann, author of Understanding
American Pie, explains: "Faith in the music now [the Sixties] replaces faith in God.

"Whatever [lyrics are] couched in religious terms can be seen as referring back... to the
happier innocence and faith of the Fifties."

As McLean sang: "Do you believe in rock and roll? Can music save your mortal soul?

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Anne Hutchinson: Religious Rebel

historyofmassachusetts.org

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

Anne Hutchinson was a Puritan religious leader and midwife who moved from England to the
Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634.

Facts about Anne Hutchinson:

Hutchinson was born Anne Marbury in Alford, Lincolnshire, England on July 20, 1591 and was the
daughter of Bridget Dryden and Francis Marbury, a Deacon in the Church of England. Francis Marbury
was a dissident minister who had been silenced and imprisoned many times for complaining about the
poor training of English clergymen. As a child, Anne had been deeply influenced by her rebellious father
and his own troubles with the church left a big impression on her, according to the book “American
Jezebel’’:

“Although entirely without formal schooling, like virtually every woman in her day, Anne
Hutchinson had been well educated on her fathers knee. Francis Marbury, a Cambridge-
educated clergyman, school-master, and Puritan reformer, was her father. In the late
1570s, more than a decade before her birth, his repeated challenges to Anglican authorities
led to his censure, his imprisonment for several years, and his own public trial - a on a
charge of heresy, the same charge that would be brought against his daughter, of refuting
church dogma or religious truth. Marbury’s trial was held in November 1 578 at Saint Paul’s
Cathedral in London, fifty-nine years and an ocean distant from her far better known trial.

His trial left an abiding mark on her, though, and its themes foreshadowed those of hers.

During a lengthy period of church-imposed house arrest that coincided with Anne’s first
three years of life, her father composed from memory a biting transcription of his trial, which
he called ‘The conference between me and the Bishop of London’ with ‘many people
standing by. ’ This dramatic dialogue, published in the early 1 590s as a pamphlet, was one
used to educate and amuse his children. ”

On August 9, 1612, Anne married William Hutchinson, a London merchant,
with whom she eventually had 15 children. The couple moved back to Alford
and began attending the services of a new preacher, John Cotton, at St.
Botolph's in Boston, Lincolnshire. Anne was instantly mesmerized by Cotton
and the two began a mentor-type relationship. Linder his guidance, Anne led
weekly prayer meetings in her home.

After John Cotton went into hiding when he was threatened with
imprisonment for his views, he fled England for the Massachusetts Bay
Colony in 1633. Feeling lost without her mentor, Anne then convinced her
husband that they should follow Cotton to the New World. William consented
and the Hutchinsons arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony on
September 18, 1634. As a wealthy and prominent cloth merchant, William
bought a half-acre lot on the Shawmut peninsula, in what is now downtown
Boston, and built a large timber frame two-story house on the exact spot
where the Old Corner Bookstore building now stands.

William Hutchinson continued his cloth business and Anne became a
midwife, often giving spiritual advice to the mothers she assisted. Things
went well for both Cotton and the Hutchinsons until 1 636, when they started speaking out against the
way Puritans leaders were being trained, thus sparking the Antinomian Controversy, a religious and
political conflict that lasted until 1638, according to the book “Rebels and Renegades: A Chronology of
Social and Political Dissent in the United States”:

of the central texts he

‘Anne Hutchinson Pleaching in Her
House in Boston," illustration
published in Harpers Monthly, circa
February 1901

“Soon after Cotton began complaining that the Puritan ministers in Massachusetts Bay were
emphasizing the covenant of works, Hutchinson began holding meetings at her house.

Initially, she merely led discussions relating to Cotton’s sermons. Later, rumors circulated
that she had accused the ministers of teaching only the covenant of works. Such an
accusation assaulted the heart of the Puritan beliefs, that faith mattered most. To accuse
the Puritan ministers of teaching a covenant of works was to accuse them of being no better
than the Church of England, against which the Puritan movement had originally begun as an
alternative to Anglican ‘faithlessness.’ Hutchinson’s charge struck at the power of the
colony’s leaders: the ministers did not hold public office, but they wielded enormous political
power and to portray them as being on the wrong path implied they should be replaced.
Consequently, her claims divided the Puritan community, and in 1636 those who supported
her succeeded in electing Henry Vane as the colony’s governor. Vane, the 24-year-old son
of a British government official, had attended Hutchinson’s meetings.”

This victory was short lived since the orthodox Puritans defeated Vane in the next election and elected
John Winthrop as Governor. Feeling pressure to maintain conformity in the colony, Winthrop and his
colleagues met in August of 1637 and decided to find a way to discredit and denounce Flutchinson. First
they disenfranchised and banned her prominent friends and allies and then they charged Hutchinson
with sedition, the act of inciting people to rebel against authority. The fact that Hutchinson's charge of
sedition was against the ministers, not the civil magistrates, demonstrates the lack of separation between
church and state and suggests that if you undermine one, you undermine the other as well.

Hutchinson found herself
in more trouble in
October of 1637, about a
month before her trial
began, when she
assisted in Mary Dyer's
birth of what the Boston
ministers would later call
a “monster.” Dyer's baby
was a stillborn with
anencephaly and spina
bifada malformations.
Knowing the controversy
the birth would create,
Hutchinson wrapped the
baby in a blanket in an

attempt to conceal its deformities and buried it in unconsecrated ground, most likely somewhere on
Boston Common. Winthrop and others eventually learned of the birth and exhumed the corpse. Upon
examining it, the Boston ministers declared the deformed baby a punishment from God, just as they did
later when Hutchinson endured a similar delivery herself in 1638, and viewed Hutchinson guilty by
association for her role in the birth.

Anne Hutchinson’s Trial:

Hutchinson was brought to trial for sedition on November7, 1637. During her trial, Hutchinson, who was
possibly pregnant at the time (many historians aren't sure if she became pregnant before or after her
trial), underwent intense questioning. Winthrop accused her of violating the 5th commandment to “honor
they father and thy mother,” implying that she had defied authority. He also criticized her for teaching
men, which was a violation of the Puritan's rule that women should not be leaders. Her testimony, during
which she proudly professed to violating many Puritan rules, was the most damning, according to the
book “Rebels and Renegades’’:

Old Comer Bookstore, Boston, Ma, cinca 19th century, fonversite of Anne Hutchinson's house

'‘Hutchinson denied she had ever said the ministers were preaching only the covenant of
works. Nevertheless, she said, ‘When they preach a covenant of works for salvation, that is
not truth. ’ Strong and assertive, Hutchinson made a startling claim in her testimony to the
court: 7 bless the Lord, ’ she said. “He hath let me see which was the clear ministry and
which the wrong.’

‘How do you know that was the spirit?’ the court asked her.

How did Abraham know that it was God that bid him offer his son, being a breach of the
sixth commandment?’ she replied.

‘By an immediate voice, ’ the court said.

‘So too me by an immediate revelation, ’ she responded.

How! An immediate revelation ,’ the court said.

‘By the voice of his spirit to my soul, ’ she insisted.

Thus Hutchinson had claimed that God had revealed himself directly to her, a stance that
violated the Puritan doctrine that revelation ended with the bible. Orthodox Puritans labeled
Hutchinson a blasphemer and an antinomian, a person who believed that commands came
only from God and that salvation freed an individual from the laws of church and
state. ...Such ideas as Hutchinson’s opened society to potential disorder, should everyone
assert that they could determine God’s revelations, and with them, God’s directions, for
themselves.”

The court declared her a heretic, banished her from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and ordered her to
be gone by the end of March. Afterward, they placed her under house arrest at the home of Joseph
Weld, while she awaited her church trial. It was during this time that her friend and mentor, John Cotton,
turned his back on her, according to an article in Harvard Magazine:

“Having been found guilty in her civil trial, she was placed under house arrest to await
ecclesiastical trial. In 1638, the final blows were delivered. A sentence of banishment was
never in doubt. Her former mentor, John Cotton, fearing for his own credibility, described
her weekly Sunday meetings as a ‘promiscuous and filthie coming together of men and
women without Distinction of Relation of Marriage’ and continued, ‘Your opinions fret like
gangrene and spread like leprosy, and will eat out the very bowels of religion.

Hutchinson's church trial began on March 15, 1638 at her home church in Boston. During the trial, the
church leaders tried to get her to repent and confess her errors but to no avail, according to the book
“The Antinomian Controversy”:

“If the trial seems harsh to the modern reader, its role within the Puritan context was
punitive only in a limited sense. Punishment by the church was meant to inspire repentance,
and a genuine act of repentance could lead to the restoration of church membership. Those
who prosecuted Mrs. Hutchinson hoped that she would confess her errors, as, for a
moment, she did. But in the end she stood her ground and the church had no other choice
then to cast her out. ”

The church leaders read the charges against Hutchinson and tried to get her to admit they were errors
but she remained defiant, according to court records:

“Mr. Leverit: Sister Hutchinson, here is diverse opinions laid to your charge by Mr. Shephard
and Mrs. Frost, and I must request you in the name of the church to declare whether you
hold them or renounce them as they be read to you.

1. That the souls of all men by nature are mortal.

2. That those that are united to Christ have two bodies, Christ’s and a new body and you
knew not how Christ should be united to our fleshly bodies.

3. That our bodies shall not rise with Christ Jesus, not the same bodies at the last day.

4. That the Resurrection mentioned is not of our resurrection at the last day, but of our
union to Jesus Christ.

5. That there be no created graces in the human nature of Christ
nor in believers after their union.

6. That you had no scripture to warrant Christ being now in heaven
in his human nature.

7. That the Disciples were not converted at Christ’s death.

8. That there is no Kingdom of Heaven but Christ Jesus.

9. That the first thing we receive for our assurance is our election.

These are alleged from Mr. Shepard. The next are from Roxbury.

1. That sanctification can be no evidence of a good estate in no
wise.

2. That her revelations about future events are to be believed as
well as scripture because the same Holy Ghost did indite both.

3. That Abraham was not in saving estate until he offered Isaac
and so saving the firmness of God's election, he might have
perished eternally for any work of grace that was in him.

4. That a hypocrite may have the righteousness of Adam and
perish.

5. That we are not bound to the law, not as a rule of life.

6. That not being bound to the law, no transgression of the taw is sinful.

7. That you see no warrant in scripture to prove that the image of God in Adam was
righteousness and true holiness.

These are alleged against you by Mr. Wells and Mr. Eliot. It is desired by the church, Sister
Hutchinson, that you express this be your opinion or not.

Anne: If this be error then it is mine and I ought to lay it down. If this be truth, it is not mine
but Christ Jesus’ and then I am not to lay it down. But I desire of the Church to demand one
question. By what rule of the word when these elders shall come to me in private to desire
satisfaction in some points and do profess in the sight of God that they did not come to
entrap nor ensnare me, and now without speaking to me and expressing any dissatisfaction
would come to bring it publicly into the Church before they had privately dealt with me? For
them to come and inquire for light and afterwards to bear witness against it. I think it is a
breach of Church Rule, to bring a thing in public before they have dealt with me in private. ”

Although it appeared at times during the trial that Hutchinson did admit to errors and mistakes, she still
refused to recant her beliefs and was found guilty and excommunicated.

Anne Hutchinson in Rhode Island:

Hutchinson left Massachusetts for Roger Williams’ settlement in Rhode Island on April 1. Her husband,
most of her children and many of her friends had already left the colony months before in order to
prepare a place for the group to live. Accompanying Hutchinson on her long walk to Rhode Island were
her remaining children, Mary Dyer and about 60-70 of Hutchinson's followers, many of whom had been
exiled by the court themselves in November for sedition. The group slept in wigwams they either found
along the way or made themselves. The journey took over six days and the group finally reached
Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, where their family and friends had already begun to build a
settlement, in the second week of April.

That May, Hutchinson went into labor and gave birth to a hydatidiform mole, a mass of tissue that is
usually the result of sperm fertilizing a blighted egg. When Winthrop learned of the news, he appeared to
take pleasure in her misfortune and wrote to Anne's doctor, John Clarke, to find out more of the details.
He later reported in his journal:

“Mistress Hutchinson being big with child, and growing toward the time of her labour, as
others do, she brought forth not one (as Mistress Dyer did) but (which was more strange to
amazement) thirty monstrous births or thereabouts, at once, some of them bigger, some

lesser, some of one shape, some of another; few of any perfect shape, none at all of them
(as far as I could ever learn) of human shape. These things are so strange that I am almost
loath to be the reporter of them, lest I should seem to feign. ..But see how the wisdom of
God fitted this judgement to her sin every way, for look - as she had vented misshapen
opinions, so she must bring forth deformed monsters. And as [there were] about thirty
opinions in number, so many monsters. And as those were public, and not in a corner
mentioned, so this is now come to be known and famous over all these churches, and a
great part of the world. ”

John Cotton also spoke to his congregation about Hutchinson's miscarriage, stating it “might signify her
error in denying inherent righteousness’’ and suggested it was a punishment from God for her crimes.

Hutchinson continued to find herself surrounded by political controversy in Rhode Island. Wealthy
merchant William Coddington was elected governor of the Aquidneck Island settlement, which they
named Pocasset, but he quickly began to alienate the settlers and was overthrown in April of 1639.
Hutchinson's husband, William, was chosen as the new governor. Coddington and several others then
left the area and established the settlement of Newport. After a year, the two settlements decided to
reunite and Coddington became Governor of the island and William Hutchinson was chosen to be one of
his assistants.

In February of 1639, Winthrop sent three ministers, Edward Gibbons, William Hibbins and John Oliver, to
visit Anne Hutchinson to force her to recant her beliefs. When she refused, they warned her that
Massachusetts was poised to take over the colony of Rhode Island and she would no longer be welcome
there.

After William Hutchinson died in 1642, realizing her future in Rhode Island was uncertain, Anne
Hutchinson moved with her children to New York, to the area that is now Pelham Bay Park, which was
then the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. There they would be out of reach of the Massachusetts
Puritans.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1830 biographical sketch of Hutchinson, titled “Mrs. Hutchinson,” Hawthorne
envisioned that Hutchinson found not only peace of mind in New York but also the chance to be the
leader she always wanted to be:

“Her final movement was to lead her family within the limits of the Dutch Jurisdiction, where,
having felled the trees of virgin soil, she became herself the virtual head, civil and
ecclesiastical, of a little colony. Perhaps here she found repose, hitherto so vainly sought.

Secluded from all whose faith she could not govern, surrounded by dependents over whom
she held an unlimited influence, agitated by none of the turmoltuous billows which were left
swelling behind her, we may suppose, that, in the stillness of nature, her heart was stilled. ”

Anne Hutchinson’s Death:

Little did Hutchinson know, the Dutch colony was a dangerous place to live at the time due to some bad
blood between the local Native American tribes and the colony's governor Willem Kieft. Many of the local
Native American tribes in New York at the time were unhappy about the Dutch settlement and often tried
to persuade the settlers to leave. Kieft further enraged the tribes by mistreating and deceiving them,
such as when he tried to extort “protection” money from the Algonquins, Raritans and Wappinger Indians
to keep them safe from the local Mohawk tribe, which Kieft actually controlled and used to terrorize other
tribes. When the other tribes refused to pay and attacked the Dutch colony, Kieft unleashed the
Mohawks on them. In 1641, Kieft again tried to persuade the Wappinger Indians to pay by sending the
Mohwaks after them. Failing to realize who was really behind the attacks, the Wappinger Indians
appealed to Kieft for help. Kieft responded by sending more Mohawks after them and then some of his
own troops to attack them. Actions such as these eventually sparked a series of events known as Kieft's
War.

One of these events occurred in August
of 1643, when a party of Siwanoy indians
raided the section of New York that
Hutchinson lived in and she and six of
her children were brutally killed,
according to the book “American
Jezebel”:

“The Siwanoy warriors stampeded
into the tiny settlement above
Pelham Bay, prepared to burn
down every house. The Siwanoy
chief, Wampage, who had sent a
warning, expected to find no
settlers present. But at one house
the men in animal skins
encountered several children,
young men and women, and a woman past middle age. One Siwanoy indicated that the
Hutchinsons should restrain the family’s dogs. Without apparent fear, one of the family tied
up the dogs. As quickly as possible, the Siwanoy seized and scalped Francis Hutchinson,

William Collins, several servants, the two Annes (mother and daughter), and the younger
children — William, Katherine, Mary, and Zuriel. As the story was later recounted in Boston,
one of the Hutchinson’s daughters, ‘seeking to escape,’ was caught ‘as she was getting over
a hedge, and they drew her back again by the hair of the head to the stump of a tree, and
there cut off her head with a hatchet.’”

The bodies were dragged into the house, which was then set on fire. Hutchinson's nine-year-old
daughter, Susanna, was out picking berries at the time of the attack. She hid from the attackers but was
eventually captured and lived with her captors for a few years until she was ransomed back to her family,
according to the book “Unafraid: The Life of Anne Hutchinson:”

“When another treaty of peace was finally concluded with the Indians in 1 645, one of the
articles insisted on was a solemn obligation to restore the daughter of Anne Hutchinson.

The Dutch guaranteed that had been offered by the New England friends of the little
captive, and the obligation on both sides was fulfilled. Susan was restored to the Dutch -
against her will, it is said, since she had learned to like her Indian captors - and she was
eventually returned to Rhode Island.”

The reaction in the Massachusetts Bay Colony to Anne Hutchinson's death was harsh. Winthrop wrote in
his journal:

“Thus it had pleased the Lord to have compassion of his poor churches here, and to
discover this great imposter, an instrument of Satan so fitted and trained to his service for
interrupting the passage [of his] kingdom in this part of the world, and poisoning the
churches here.. .This American Jezebel kept her strength and reputation, even among the
people of God, till the hand of civil justice laid hold on her, and then she began evidently to
decline, and the faithful to be freed from her forgeries...”

The Reverend Thomas Weld also seemed pleased with Hutchinson’s death and happily wrote to
acquaintances in England:

“The Lord heard our groans to heaven, and freed us from our great and sore affliction... I
never heard that the Indians in those parts did ever before this commit the like outrage upon
any one family or families; and therefore God’s hand is the more apparently seen herein, to
pick out this woeful woman...”

Uiiticre of Ann Hutchtr-ann

“Massacre of Anne Hutchinson," illustration published in A Popular History of the
United States, circa 1878

Later when it was discovered that the warrior, Wampage, took Anne Hutchinson's name after her death,
calling himself “Anne Hoeck,” it was assumed that he was the one who took her life, since it was
customary among Native-Americans to adopt the name of their most notable victim. In 1654, Wampage
even transferred the deed of the Hutcinson's property to Thomas Pell and listed his name on the
document as “Anne Hoeck alias Wampage.”

Anne Hutchinson’s Descendants:

Hutchinson has a number of notable descendants. Her great-great grandson was Thomas Hutchinson,
who became the loyalist Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay during the American
Revolution. Her other descendants include U.S. Presidents George W. Bush, George H. Bush and
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Melville Weston Fuller, Massachusetts
Governor Mitt Romney and Associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Her grandson, Peleg Sanford,
became Colonial Governor of Rhode Island. Eve LaPlante, the author of Hutchinson's biography
“American Jezebel” is also one of Hutchinson's descendants.

Anne Hutchinson’s Legacy: Why Was Anne Hutchinson Important?

Anne Hutchinson is considered one of the first notable woman religious leaders in the North American
Colonies. She fought for religious freedom and openly challenged the male dominated government and
church authorities, making her a religious and feminist role model.

A number of local landmarks in New York were later named after Hutchinson. The neighboring land near
where Hutchinson lived was named Anne-Hoeck's neck, the local river was named the Hutchinson and
the highway that runs alongside it was named the Hutchinson River Parkway.

In 1922, The Anne Hutchinson Memorial Association and the State Federation of Women's Clubs
erected a statue of Anne Hutchinson, sculpted by artist Cyrus Dallin, in front of the Massachusetts State
House in Boston.

In 1987, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis officially pardoned Anne Hutchinson, therefore
revoking her banishment from Massachusetts and clearing her name.

Get email updates {it's free!):

Sources:

“Unafraid: The Life of Anne Hutchinson”; Winnifred King-Rugg; 1930

“Rebels and Renegades: A Chronology of Social and Political Dissent in the United States;” Neil A.
Hamilton; 2002

“Forgotten Americans: Footnote Figures Who Changed American History”; Willard Sterne Randall,

Nancy Nahra; 1998

“American Jezebel”; Eve LaPlante; 2010

“The Antinomian Controversy, 1636-1638: A Documentary History”; edited by David D. Hall; 1990
“A Popular History of the United States, Volume I”; William Cullen Bryant; Sydney Howard; 1878
History.com: Anne Hutchinson Arrives in the New World: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/anne-
hutchinson-arrives-in-the-new-world

Harvard Magazine; Anne Hutchinson; Peter G. Gomes; November-December 2002:
http://harvardmagazine.com/2002/11/anne-hutchinson.html

State of Rhode Island: Anne Marbury Hutchinson: http://sos.ri.gov/library/history/famous/hutchinson/
American National Biography Online: Anne Hutchinson: http://www.anb.org/articles/01/01-00437.html
National Women's History Museum: Anne Marbury Hutchinson: https://www.nwhm.org/education-
resources/biography/biographies/anne-marbury-hutchinson/

Eve LaPlante: http://www.evelaplante.com/

P Copyright 2014 Eve mote Corporation. All rights reserved. */ .en-marlwp-crop-options { top: 18px Umportant; left: 50% ! important ; margin-left:
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Was 6ft 6in Siberian apewoman who lived in 19th Century a
yeti?

07:06 EST, 4 April 2015 \

07:06 est, 4 April 2015 dailymail.co.uk

Was 19th Century apewoman a yeti? 6ft 6in Russian serf who could outrun a horse
was 'not human', according to DNA tests

• Witnesses said Zana the apewoman had the 'characteristics of a wild animal'

• She was allegedly trapped in Caucusus mountains and covered in thick hair

• Had 'enormous athletic power' and she could infamously outrun a horse

• A genetics professor has analysed DNA of six of her living descendants

By Jennifer Newton and Jay Akbar For Mailonline

Hundreds of explorers, theorists and fantasists have spent their lives searching for the
infamous 'big-foot'.

But a leading geneticist believes he has found evidence to prove that it - or rather she - could
have been more than a myth.

Professor Bryan Sykes of the University of Oxford claims a towering woman named Zana
who lived in 19th Century Russia - and appeared to be 'half human, half ape' - could have
been the fabled yeti.

Witnesses described the six-foot, six-inches tall woman discovered in the Caucasus
mountains between Georgia and Russia as having 'all the characteristics of a wild animal' -
and covered in thick auburn hair.

Historic: A leading genetecist claims a towering woman named
Zana (artist's representation) who lived in 19th Century Russia -
and appeared to be 'half human, half ape' - could have been the
fabled yeti

Proof: DNA
evidence from
Zana’s

granddaughter
(left) and the
remains of her
son Khwit (right)
seemed proved
that Zana was
of African
descent even
though she lived
in the wild

Caucusus

Trapped: A merchant found Zana in the
Ochamchir region of western Georgia and
after hunters caught her, they placed her in
a ditch surrounded by sharp spikes

Experts believe the wandering 'Wild
Woman' was found lurking in the remote
region of Ochamchir in the Republic of
Abkhazia.

She was captured by a local
merchant in the 1850s who hired a
group of hunters to subdue and
shackle her in the mountainous
terrain.

Professor Sykes claims Zana was
kept in a 'ditch surrounded by
sharpened spikes' and sold from
owner to owner until she came to
serve nobleman Edgi Genaba as a
servant.

Mythical: Witnesses described the six-foot,
six-inches tall woman as having 'all the
characteristics of a wild animal' (fabled 'big-
foot' pictured)

Wild: Zana was discovered and trapped by
a local merchant who hired a group of
hunters to hunt her down in the region of
Ochamchir - and she was eventually
tamed by a nobleman on his estate in
Tkhina

Treacherous: It is thought Zana roamed
the remote Caucusus mountains, where
Sykes says her African ancestors lived for
many generations

Famously known as the ape woman, Zana had at least four children by local men and some
of her descendants still live in the region, the Times reported.

Sykes made an astonishing discovery when he carried out saliva tests on six of her living
relatives and the tooth of her deceased son Khwit.

The DNA analysis revealed that they all
contained the right amount of African DNA
for Zana the ape woman to be '100 per
cent African' but remarkably she did not
resemble any known group.

Discovery: Professor Bryan Sykes of the
University of Oxford analysed the DNA of
her living relatives in the Caucuses region
and found west-African genes

Myth? The first accounts of the Yeti
emerged before the 19th
century from Buddhists who
believed that the creature
inhabited the Himalayas

A *

l L

I If

1 I] p

i'll

1 1

Her resemblance was that of
a wild beast - 'the most
frightening feature of which
was her expression which
was pure animal,' one
Russian zoologist wrote in
1996.

The man
who

organised
various
eyewitness
accounts
of Zana
wrote: 'Her
athletic
power was
enormous.

Evidence:
In his book

’Nature of the Best’, Sykes argues that Zana could be the yeti

She would outrun a horse and swim across the Moskva river even when it rose in violent high
tide.’

Some have argued that she was a runaway Ottoman slave but Professor Sykes says her
’unparalleled DNA’ refutes that theory.

He believes her ancestors came out of Africa over 100,000 years
ago and lived in the remote Caucasus for many generations.

Zana was eventually 'tamed' by the nobleman who bought her as a
servant and kept her on his estate in Tkhina in the Republic of
Abkhazia.

Accounts from the time claim she was incredibly muscular, slept
outdoors and ran around naked until she died on the estate in
1890.

Some of his colleagues doubt his other findings - which include a
claim that an unknown species of bear might account for yeti
sightings in Bhutan.

Despite the lack of hard proof from the analysis of the alleged 'yeti hairs', he says he has
developed a strong sense that 'something is out there' after speaking to dozens of witnesses.

Professor Sykes could not say if the yeti, bigfoot or the Russian almasty is the best candidate
for a surviving race of human 'apemen'.

He said: 'Bigfoot has many more people trying to find it. But I suppose either the yeti or the
alma / almasty, which live in inaccessible and very thinly populated regions, is the most likely.'

THE MYTHICAL YETI AND THOSE WHO HAVE TRIED TO FIND IT

The first accounts of Yetis emerged before the 1 9th century from Buddhists who believed that
the creature inhabited the Himalayas.

They depicted the mysterious beast as having similarities to an ape and carrying a large
stone as a weapon while making a whistling sound.

In 1832, an explorer who had his account of trekking in Nepal published in the Journal of the
Asiatic Society of Bengal spoke of seeing tall, bipedal creature covered with long dark hair,
which seemed to flee in fear.

The term Abominable Snowman was developed in 1921 following a book by Lieutenant-
Colonel Charles Howard-Bury called Mount Everest The Reconnaissance.

Popular interest in creature gathered pace in early 20th century as tourists began making
their own trips to the region to try and capture the Yeti. They reported seeing strange
markings in the snow.

Mystical: Hundreds of explorers, theorists and fantasists have spent their lives searching for
the infamous 'big-foot'

The Daily Mail led a trip called the the Snowman Expedition in 1954 to Everest. During the
trip mountaineering leader John Angelo Jackson photographed ancient paintings of Yetis and

Tho first scientific evidenco
on tho survival of apomon
into modern timos

NATURE

OF THE

BEAST

BRYAN SYKES

Pri1» w* C * Rjrir K

OiIh* tlirtfiryitl ijm'OlltinrriWNMl
HiMii OtsfNM Jl h»

large footprints in the snow.

A number of hair samples were also
found that were believed to have come
from a Yeti scalp.

British mountaineer Don Whillans
claimed to have witnessed a creature
when scaling Annapurna in 1970.

He said that while searching for a
campsite he heard some odd cries
which his guide attributed to a Yeti's
call. That night, he saw a dark shape

In recent times, there have been more reported Yeti sightings and at a conference in Russia
in 201 1 , scientists declared they were 95 per cent certain of the existence of Yetis.

In 2013, a scientist claimed that the Yeti was a distant relative of the polar bear, which is
thought to have died out more than 40,000 years ago.

But researchers have shown that the two hair samples analysed actually originated from a
modern polar bear, and a type of rare bear native to the high mountain ranges.

Zworm, WashDC, about 8 hours ago

The art work shown is Australopithecus gigantus. a very large for of primitive man that lived in
China. It may be a relatively recent extinction and may be the root of the Yeti ideas. The rest
of the article is tripe!

jmb1963, Baghdad, United Kingdom, about 8 hours ago
shouldn't you have run this story 3 days ago?

Randy, Calgary, Canada, about 8 hours ago

These stories about the Russian president get tiresome. Now we have to read about his
parents too?

Howard the 1st, London-UK., United Kingdom, about 8 hours ago
Had 'enormous athletic power' and she could infamously outrun a

horse Why INFAMOUSLY ? Billy the Kid was infamous, Pol Pot was

infamous, Ned Kelly was infamous, Vlad the Impaler was infamous. How does running faster
than a horse make you infamous ?

Telsurrey, Surrey, United Kingdom, about 8 hours ago

moving near his camp.

No.

Erec Shaw, Coventry, United Kingdom, about 8 hours ago
******** 19th Century PHOTOSHOP RIGHT??

Julian Kenny, Lancashire, about 8 hours ago
Maybe it's a bad drawing?

JamesLondon, London, United Kingdom, about 8 hours ago
Mr. Farage, they found your grandma!
timlechef, marbella, Spain, about 8 hours ago
Ooh James that was funny!

Per Mare Per Terram, Under My Green Lid, United Kingdom, about 8 hours ago
Don't be having a pop at The Furher...

Uncle Bill, Weilheim OB, Germany, about 8 hours ago

All of her descendants have been on the Jeremy Kyle at one time or another... and the
smarter ones even got as far as 'Question Time'

ZARDOZ, Vortex, United Kingdom, about 8 hours ago

Duh, if she had children with people, she was human.

Sodemocracy, Liverpool, United Kingdom, about 8 hours ago

I can see the face of Christ in its nose!

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Asbo swan terrorises river users just like his father and grandad mirror.co.uk

Asbo swan terrorising river users is following in vicious footsteps of his forefathers

• 17:05, 7 April 2015

• By Jo Riley

Savage Asbaby attacked punters on the River Cam over the Easter bank holiday
weekend - as father Asboy and grandfather Mr Asbo did before him

Geoff Robinson

Tea-leaf: Asbaby grabs for handbag,
taking after Asboy, right

The young grandson of vicious swan
Mr Asbo is following in his grandfather’s
footsteps after terrorising punters on
the River Cam over the busy Easter
bank holiday weekend.

The fledgling fiend, who has been
nicknamed Asbaby, has been pecking
petrified punters on the famous Backs
in the university city.

The savage swan, who has still got many of his brown baby feathers, is believed to be even
more vicious than his grandfather, who was moved to a secret location by the river authorities
two years ago after he repeatedly attacked rowers.

Asbaby was seen over the weekend attacking tourists as they punted which included eating
sandwiches from picnic hampers, drinking from water bottles and even trying to steal a
woman’s handbag.

The bird is also believed to have inherited his bad temper from his dad Asboy, who
conducted a reign of terror on the river last summer.

“He is even more vicious than his father and grandfather and sticks his neck right into the
punts and boats to nip passengers,” said Harry Crossell, 65, who lives near the river.

“I’ve seen him chasing after punts and taking their picnics. Once I even saw him put his beak
around a bottle of champagne.

“It’s terrifying for river users and it’s making people think twice about going out on the water.”

Another resident, Simon Patterson, 52, said they were worried he would get worse as he gets
older.

The swan is only young at the moment, we’re concerned he will get stronger and more

Asboy the swan on the River Cam in Cambridge.

vicious as he grows bigger,” he said.

“He swims up and down the river
chasing anything which gets in his way.
We thought Mr Asbo and Asboy were
bad, but this swan is even worse.

“It's very worrying as the river is starting
to get busier now, if he continues
someone could get really hurt.”

Asboy the swan on the River
Cam in Cambridge.

• Asbo swan

The Cam
Conservators
moved Mr
Asbo to a
secret location
about 60 miles
away in 2012
because they
said his
behaviour was
risking the
safety of river
users as well

as himself.

His behaviour left dozens of rowers with cuts and bruises and a special marshal even had to
be employed during a university rowing race to prevent him from injuring the students.

Last year Asboy was seen attacking punters, birds and even a cow. He also injured a
canoeist and a swimmer.

/* Copyright 2014 Evemote Corporation. All rights reserved. 7 .en-markup-crop-options { top: 1 8 px /important ; left: 50%
! important ; margin-left: -lOOpx ! important ; width: 200px ! important ; border: 2px rgba(255, 255, 255, .38) solid ! important ;
border-radius: 4px ! important ;} .en-markup-crop-options div div:first-of-type { margin-left: Opx ! important ;}

Is This Real? Baby Born With Two Horns In Nigeria

httD://www.Lnauisitreom/1962842/is-thLS-real-baby-born-with-two-horns-in-

nigeria/#utm_source=website&utm_eamoaign=wpbirdnest&,utm_medium=web

Photos have appeared in the Nigerian media of a deformed baby born with two horns. Some media
outlets compare the child to a frog for its strange appearance. A Nigerian newspaper investigated and
reported on the story.

A woman reportedly gave birth to the baby in a maternity center in Ilesa, Osun State, Nigeria, and at
first the story of the child was apparently kept a secret.

The Nigerian Tribune investigated the story and obtained a photo of the child. At first, when the
newspaper tried to verify the story, they hit a blank wall, but eventually the person in charge of
the maternity clinic confirmed the story on condition of anonymity.

Apparently, the woman who gave birth to the child was “about 25 years old and she has been without a
child for three years.”

She went on to tell the reporter that the woman, who registered for antenatal care at the center, lives in

a farm settlement on the outskirts of Ilesa. When she was ready to give birth, her relatives rushed her to
the maternity center.

“But we were shocked to the marrow when she eventually delivered the
baby with two horns on the head after going into labor for some hours.
By the time she was delivered of the baby, it was already dead and we
had to separate it from the placenta."

The matron of the center said she had “never seen such a terrible creature” in her life. Apparently,
nursing staff helped the woman and her relatives pack the dead baby and placenta before they left the
center. It was a sad day, indeed.

“This is not something we can celebrate. So, I ordered by nurses and
other attendants to keep their mouth shut over the incident. But, I am
very surprised how you people got to know about it and came here to
inquire about it. I do not want anyone to make something unnecessary
out of this or create problems for us here."

The woman refused to give details of the whereabouts of the mother who gave birth to the baby with
two horns, but she did confirm that the photos the newspaper had received were real.

Another Nigerian news service, Gistmania , states that from the photos, it is possible the baby suffered
from a type of crouzon syndrome. This is reportedly an autosomal dominant genetic disorder also
known as a branchial arch syndrome.

Because the branchial arches are such important developmental
features in a growing embryo, any disturbance of this nature causes
widespread effects in the appearance of the baby.

This genetic disorder apparently occurs in 1 .6 out of every 100,000
people. The image included here is of another patient with the disorder,
affected in a different way. The photo was taken in 1 9 1 2 by Octave
Crouzon, who is named for the syndrome.

In similar news, the Inquisitr recently reported on the case of the
“spider baby,” a child born with four hands and four legs which is
fighting for survival in China.

Patient with Crouzon syndrome
(1912)

[Images: Baby born with two horns - fair use from Twitter. Patient with Crouzon syndrome, in the

Bigfoot: The Zana Affair by Ray Crowe October 31, 2010...

bigfootencounters.com

This is the incredible story of Zana orZanya, a hairy Wild Woman,
known locally as an Abnauayu, ora really Abominable Snowman...
Snow Woman in this case, or to some, called an Alma (female is
Almasty) or Kaptar (from Kazakhstan), depending on the location. She
is a feral relict hominoid from Stone Age prehistory distantly related to
human beings, possibly Neanderthal some think.

The species “Homo neanderthalensis” is not an ancestor of modern
humans some research indicates, the mitochondrial DNA studies
having shown that our two species have evolved separately. They are
descended from a separate branch of the human family tree some
516,000 years ago, according to some research published in Nature
Magazine. When modern man moved into Europe about 45,000 years
ago, the Neanderthals were pushed into the wilds, supposedly going extinct, as the last known
Neanderthal fossils are from 24,000 years ago.

In contrast, Svante Paabo, a paleo-geneticist at Germany's Max Planck Institute determined from
sequencing the Y-chromosome from a 49,000 year old Neanderthal genome that some Cro-
Magnon's possibly invited ladies to their cave for sex and to have hybrid progeny... as any human
who has ancestors from outside of Africa (where Neanderthals never lived) has one to four percent
Neanderthal genes in their genetic makeup!

Much of this ongoing Zana saga is based on the publications of The Russian scientists: Boris
Porshnev, “The Struggle For Troglodytes;” “A Skeleton Still Buried and a Skull Unearthed: The
Story of Zana;” by Igor Bourtsev; and from the popular 1996 book, “In the Footsteps of the Russian
Snowman, ” by Dmitri Bayanov. Hominologists, later they were considered cryptozoologists. . .
people who study unknown creatures. I have little new to add, but have accumulated much of the
scattered published information to assemble this article.

Incredibly wild and vicious, Zana was captured with great difficulty in the forest by a local
merchant in (about?) 1 850, as was said by Apollon Dumaya, a local official who was told by his
father of the capture. It was in the Ochamchir Region of Georgia in a gulch along the Adzyubzha
River., .and the merchant was astonished to see a young female Abnauyu in a meadow along the
gulch living in Paleolithic innocence. Incredibly smart and disappearing a second before capture,
she was finally outsmarted... the merchant left some red male underwear at the meadow where she
was frequently seen and she was caught while putting the underwear over her head and hips.

Named Zana (means black in Georgian language) the creature was tied, and fighting back, was
hit with cudgels and gagged with a mouth full of felt and finally shackled by her legs to a log. She
was eventually put in a ditch, surrounded by a fence of sharpened logs and was living in squalor.
There she growled and charged at laughing children who threw sticks and dirt clods at her. After
some time she was finally considered somewhat tamed and then made “love” to. . .even giving birth
to live half-breed children... thus, the strange saga of “The Zana Affair."

Near the end of the last century, Zana was probably sold as a curiosity to the handsome prince,

D. M. Achba, titular head of the Zaadan region of Georgia in the late 1800’s. Achba passed this

strange slave to his vassal Chelokua, who apparently sold her to the Nobleman Edgi Genaba who
was passing through the region at the time.

Genaba took poorZana in chains and shackles as a slave to the village Tkhina on the Mokva
River where his estate was located, some 48 miles from Sukhmia, the capitol city of Abkhazia and
near the Black Sea in Georgia.

She was thrown into a caged stone enclosure sans her chains and ropes, and as she acted like
a wild beast, food was simply thrown to her. She dug a hole in the ground where she slept for the
next three years. Zana was a local curiosity and surrounding villagers would come by to poke her
with a stick, chuckling as she would grab for the stick, growl, howl, and menacingly bare her big
glaringly white teeth.

Eventually becoming tame, Zana was tethered in a fenced enclosure near the house under an
awning. Overtime she became domesticated and was released to roam the hillsides free of
shackles. Zana did not roam far though, preferring to remain near her food, but she could not
endure the warm rooms of indoor human cultures, and slept outdoors, still in a hole in the ground
that she had dug under the awning.

Zoologist Professor Alexander Mashdovtsev first heard of and studied the amazing story of Zana,
and with Boris Porshnev, gathered many of the following descriptions from locals who still recalled
her.

Zana could not speak, even after several decades of living with humans, had never ever learned
a word of the native Abhkaz language. She could only make inarticulate sounds, unexpected
laughs, mutters or cries when she was poked with a stick or otherwise irritated. One sound done
well was the imitation of a squeaking gate, which seemed to make her happy. She could recognize
her own name though, and would do simple chores. . . like carrying with one hand heavy 1 1 0 pound
sacks of ground corn flour that she had ground from the water-mill by the river, collecting firewood,
removing her masters boots, or fetching water. She was fearful when Edgi Genaba shouted at her
despite her huge size, but others were afraid of Zana because she was known to bite and
whenever she came to the house, the women only came near when she was in a calm and gentle
mood. Adults told Zana-monster stories to their children to make them behave, although Zana was
never known to attack any of them...”Zana's gonna' get cha' if you're bad.” Perhaps if she was
poked with a stick when free?

Zana had features of both Mongoloid and Negroid extraction, and her whole body was very tall
with black or dark gray skin, and reddish hair that covered her body like a mass of felt, while on the
head it was described as being tousled and a thick shiny black. The thick reddish-black hair then
ran down the middle of her back like an animal mane. She was said to be six and a half feet tall,
and had huge red eyes. Zana was also broad and had huge buttocks and pendulous breasts, and
was quite muscular and could splay her toes wide. Her hideously broad face with high cheekbones
and ape-like nostrils turned forward was pure animal though. The muzzle-like jaws had strong
sharp teeth... strong enough to crack bones or nuts with. Also quite athletic, Zana could outrun the
swiftest horses, or swim the waters of the swiftest river in flood stage at high tide, and do it all the
year around. The nearby wild Mouki River was apparently an easy swim with her powerful arms
and legs.

Zana hated clothes, preferring to run around naked, even in the coldest winter which she seemed
completely resistant to, and if dressed, would tear the clothes to shreds , though she eventually

learned to wear a loin cloth. Strange, as she was captured trying to put on red underclothes.
Another strange habit was her curiosity about rocks, spending time stacking or cracking them
apart. Often she was seen cooling off by lying in a pond with the water buffalo, or bathing in some
icy mountain spring. Zana liked to climb trees, or roam the nearby hills, using a stick to fend off
dogs or other perils.

Zana was a glutinous eater, taking anything offered her, like meat or hominy, and eating with her
bare hands as she never learned how to eat with a spoon and plate.

Often Zana would be seen to climb trees for their fruit, and would pull down and shred grape
vines. She drank wine, enough to get quite smashed, lying in a swooning state and sleeping for
hours... and the locals learned to give her wine to make her drunk. Perhaps where the term
“Monster Mash” came from?

Zana became pregnant several times, from several different fathers... an important clue to
geneticists . The local men had forced her to drink wine, and it didn't take long to get drunk... and
then she became sexually aggressive. And, there was always someone to make love to a
monster. During drunken orgies Edgi Genaba was said to offer a prize to the man who would
mount Zana, and the prize would always be given to a winner. . . if even himself.

After the birth of a human-type child without assistance, Zana would take the newborn to wash it
in the cold waters of the spring or the frozen waters of the river. ..the first two hybrid babies quickly
died from exposure. Eventually the local villagers would take the babies away from the silly
mother, nursing and raising the half-monster babies themselves. This occurred four times... two
sons and two daughters, who were reared as human. There was an unconfirmed report of another
child that ran off to join with mother’s people in the desolate Caucasus Mountains. Seems doubtful
though, as the child had to grow up locally and would have probably been named and described.

The sons were the youngest Khwit, and then Dzhanda, while the daughters were young Gamasa
and the oldest Kodzhanar. People had no idea who their fathers were, although many years later
during a census taking, the children were listed as offspring of a local resident, Kamshish Sabekia,
who acknowledged “winning prizes” with Zana before he was finally married. All four of the children
adopted the family name of Sabekia. Zana's youngest son Khwit and his sister Gamasa were
raised by Genaba's wife. It was rumored that they were both sired by Edgi Genaba himself. All
the children were fertile, and left descendents scattered across Abkhazia.

The boys had dark-grayish skin and were said to have normal faces, Khwit having thick curly hair
and very full lips. Apparently the genes of the father were dominant, overruling the mother's line of
descent.

Khwit could work, talk, and reason like other villagers, had a social life, but was powerful, and
belligerent. . .quick to pick a fight. He often had fights with other villagers. Like his mother, Khwit
didn’t like children as they would get into his garden to steal pears and grapes... though not poking
him like with mom. Khwit was said to be not only a very strong man but was difficult to live with as
he was very violent. Khwit once got into a fight with a relative who jumped him. He defended
himself but the relative hit him with a mattock and put a deep gash in his right arm near the elbow.
The arm had to be amputated, though he could still do his work on the collective farm. A local
official recalls the incredibly strong Khwit plowing his lot with only his left arm. Khwit was also said
to be able to lift a man in a chair off of the ground with very powerful jaws. Dzhanda, the other son
was quite talented and became an accomplished pianist.

Aging, Khwit moved to the town of Tkvarcheli where he finally died. He lived until 1 954 being 65
or 70 years old, and was taken back to be buried near his mother Zana, who had died in 1 890, in
the family cemetery in Tkhina village in the Ochamchiri District of Abkhazia. Some note the
importance of Zana being buried in the family cemetery of the Genabas, as if she were part of that
family. During her life, she showed little sign of aging, having no grey hair and retained her teeth.

Zana’s grandchildren were also said to be dark skinned, with Negroid features, and extremely
strong, and it has been noted by geneticists that the hybrid offspring of Khwit were viable and not
sterile. Khwit Sebekia was married twice, and sired two daughters and a son. Igor Bourtsev
located most of Zana’s descendents, although one daughter had been electrocuted the prior year of
his investigation. Robert Kukubava granted permission for Igor to reproduce photos from the family
album. Daughter Raisa and her brother Shuliko are similar to Khwit with similar lower jaws and
protruding cheekbones. His older daughter Tatyana has no resemblance to Zana except for the
eyes, though photos of Khwit and his sister bear a resemblance to the description of Zana.

Later, several Russian anthropological expeditions attempted and failed to locate Zana’s bones.
Also, it had been difficult to obtain permission to disinter the graves in the cemetery. Fortunately an
old Abkhazian colleague was appointed as a local council official and was able to grant the
necessary permission. Another official, Apollon Dumava, the former council official recalled that his
older relatives remembered Zana, and she was said to have curvy hips that attracted the attention
of the local men.

The first expedition was in September 1964 when archaeologist V.S. Orelkin and Professor Boris
Porshnev searched but were unable to locate the gravesite in the Tkhina cemetery. Returning
again in 1 965 they were accompanied by Yury Voronov who later became Vice Premier of
Abkhazia (but was killed in 1995). The cemetery was located and was found overgrown with
bracken fern, but Khwit's ten year old marked grave mound was easily found. It was said by the
last of the family relatives, 70-year old Kenton that Zana's grave was under a pomegranate tree.
Excavating there, only the remains of one of Zana's grandchildren that had died at an early age
was found.

On the next two expeditions, nothing was found, but in October 1965 the possible remains of
Gamasa were located and the skull collected. It was small and had definite features that appeared
to be paleoanthropic.

After the passing of Prof. Porshnev, young Igor D. Bourtsev and Dmitri Bayanov led expeditions
to the area in 1971, 1975, and 1978. They were unable to locate Zana’s grave either, despite
digging in adverse conditions; seemingly endless downpours of rain, and in sticky clay earth.

It was then decided in 1971 to locate and excavate Khwit’s grave which was well marked, and
remove the skull. Accompanied by the famous Professor of paleontology Nikolay Bourchak-
Abramovich assisting with their spade work, Igor Bourtsev excavated the easily located grave of
Khwit, removed the skull and took it to Moscow with the other skull that was located. The skulls are
now believed to rest at the Moscow State University Institute of Anthropology.

Igor D. Bourtsev, later becoming a cryptozoologist studying unknown species, took the exhumed
skulls to Moscow for study of their modern and ancient features. The results from the Khwit skull
were published at the Relict Hominoid Research Seminar and the Moscow Naturalists' Society in

1 987, coauthored with M.A. Kolodieva, as “Results of a Preliminary Investigation of a Skull from
the village of Tkhina, Abkhaz ASSR” (in Russian).

Physical anthropologists M. A. Kolodieva and M. M. Gerasimova found that the skull was larger
than normal male skulls from the region in the collection of the Moscow State University Institute of
Anthropology. The facial section of the skull was significantly larger than typical Abkhaz types... the
superciliary cranial contour being grater than the maximum of some fossil skulls, and are compared
to the Neolithic Vovnigi II skulls of the fossil series at the Institute. It was also noted that the back
of the cranium is of the “Homo sapiens” type, without a knot, and that the brow ridge was also of a
normal size and had little marking. It was mentioned that the brow ridge of Khwitwas even larger
than that ascribed to Zana, the supposed Neanderthal... possibly as it was from a male. The
overall peculiar features of the skull were also noted in the greater development of the skull's two
foramina mentale of the lower jaw (circular opening in jaw), the intrusive bones of the sagittal
suture (across front to back, joins two side parietal bones), and the inca bone (separate skull bone
often found in Inca mummies). Gerasiomva, suggests that the skull should have a more detailed
study.

Another female skull was unearthed also at the Tkhin cemetery. The skeleton was buried on its
side with the legs bent next to Khwit's grave, with a mirror at the head indicating that it was female.
The skull was more robust than that of local women, and was noted to have a large projecting jaw.
In the grave was found a rubber shoe branded 1888. From the date, this was assumed to be Zana,
and was extremely exciting to researchers, as this would be the first time they had found the
remains of an Abnauayu, or Almasty. Except. . .the anthropological analysis indicated that it was
from a black woman who had somehow made it to the Caucuses. . .now what?

Next, a DNA check was due after the August 2006 Russian newspaper Komsomol’skaja Pravda
had an article on the skull examinations from the supposed relic Almasty. Igor Bourtsev was
invited to have both skulls analyzed during a visit to the US, and Bourtsev replied on the Mugamir
Russian website that he had visited New York July 1 3th through the 20th (2009) when the DNA of
the skulls was examined by the New York University. The results were made public on the
National Geographic program, “Is It Real? Russian Bigfoot.” Bourtsev was interviewed and talked
with a U.S. geneticist and an anthropologist. The idea was that Zana and her son Khwit were
actually Neanderthal hybrids with similar genomes that had possibly survived into modern times,
especially now that the entire Neanderthal genome has been sequenced and examined by the
Max Planck Institute's Svante Paabo and his team in 2009 in Leipzig, Germany.

Bourtsev said that the examination revealed that one of the skulls was of an Australoid type,
possibly that of Khwit, and that the other female skull was of a completely unrelated African type. . .
definitely not that of Zana. The visiting anthropologist said that even though there was a similar
DNA relationship between the two skulls, the female skull showed many distinct morphological
differences, like a strongly defined lower face and tooth prognathism (stuck out).

Unfortunately for some of us Bigfoot fans... the mitochondrial DNA that was analyzed by the
geneticist Todd Disotel from both of the skulls indicated that the shared female maternal
relationship was of a human origin. ..not mutations of the supposed Neanderthal species, as
Bourtsev thought, closing a thirty year debate between often belligerent cryptozoologists. The skull
of Zana is still missing, so there is still hope!

This whole Zana Affair tale reminds me of the popular novel “The Mammoth Hunters" by Jane

Auel, telling of the young girl Ayla, living and reproducing hybrids with Neanderthals. I don't recall if
the human genes were dominant over the Neanderthal.

I wonder if Zana's ghost is still searching for her son’s missing head and haunts the local
villagers? It is said that Igor Bourtsev while digging through the muck took seriously ill with a
strange disease that doctors were unable to diagnose.

Summary

So, what is Zana anyway, ape, primitive man or human? It is said that chimpanzee DNA is 98.5%
human. ..not much room to squeeze the Neanderthal, australopithecine, Alma, Sasquatch, and
other primitive types between. Most Bigfoot scientists say the creature is an ape, based on the
fossil bones of an ancient ape, “Gigantopithecus blacki.” They stick to the idea almost religiously
and won’t compromise much. Many Russian investigators have long opted for the Neanderthal as
a viable model. Perhaps the creature is an ape only in the sense of Desmond Morris describing
humans as “The Naked Ape”. ..then we also are apes along with Sasquatch. Keep in mind that the
great apes have 48 chromosomes, while humans only have 45.

The clues lie in the structure of the DNA molecule and the hereditary traits... Zana could give birth
to living human types that have grandchildren. There have been a total of 10 cases in Russia or
China from 1912 to 1954 of other live births from wild women.

Hotly denied some, more recently, DNA researchers, as opposed to Bigfoot researchers, think
that Almas and the North American Sasquatch are human. And that the Sasquatch, Yeran, Kaptar,
Yowie (Australia), Yeti, and Mapinguari (Amazon), plus the Alma, are all closely related cousins.

My first personal thoughts were of a “Homo erectus (Neanderthal is a descendant ofthem)”fora
model of the Bigfoot that had evolved to different forms in different environments, which even is
how Darwin explained the variation in species from Galapogos specimens and observations. Note,
the Neanderthal separated from “H. erectus” some 600,000 years ago.

But some few of the scientists thought the often ape-like and often human appearing creatures
were probably a form of human, very similar to us. My first exposure was from the geneticist Dr.
Ruth McFarland in 1995 who presented evidence of the Washington State Bigfoot as being human
at a Carson, WA, conference.

More recently, I have time and again run across DNA evidence that suggested human... but at the
time, to the scientists involved, all were “contaminated!” Even a sample I provided from the Zac
Cave in Idaho was said to be contaminated.

The Coy/Green Tennessee hair samples are a prime example of where some scientists began to
see the light. Dr. Henner Fahrenbach tested a hair taken from the wrist of a Bigoot named Fox,
and declared it to be human. Bob Daigle, a friend of Mary Green’s sent a hair sample to be tested
for DNA by a geneticist (named only as Dan) who found nothing but human results, the sample
sequence being an exact match. He sequenced 300 nucleotides from a mitochondrial gene called
clytochrome b, and amplified a 1100 base pair fragment, then ran results against the GeneBank
database. ..human.

Control tests were run that were deliberately contaminated with dog and cat DNA... despite which
still the Fox hair sample ended up testing human.

The rest of the general scientific community and senior Bigfoot researchers deniability is reaching
the point of being ridiculous. At some point, some very public agency or noted personage is going
to declare that the creatures are actually human beings... just different from modern man through a
subtle shift in the genetic code. Perhaps just a few genes are involved... though important ones,
and they need to be identified.

Once that point has been achieved, perhaps we can gain valuable insight into what the tiny
genetic variations are between us and Zana. Those that add up to huge differences. ..maybe even
the solution as to what caused the jump to "intelligence” in Africa some 200-140 thousand years
ago when there was a giant intellectual break between “Homo erectus” and modern humans. The
answer to why we are US.

Ray Crowe
Hillsboro, Oregon

Oct 31, 2010

Sources

http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/argosy71.htm

http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/truefrontier.htm

http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa022800b.htm

http://www.hominology.narod.ru/zanai.htm

http://www.isogg.org/ancientdna.htm

http://phantomsandmonsters.wetpaint.com/page/Villagers+Remember+Descendants+of+a+Bigfoot

http://www.bcscc.ca/almasti.htm

http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/khwit-dna/

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4040

http://www.cryptomundo.com/bigfoot-report/russian-bigfoot/

http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/x-woman/

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18869-neanderthal-genome-reveals-interbreeding-with-

humans.html

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Cemetery Logistics: How I Tracked the Highgate Vampire |
Vamped

vamped.org

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Erin Chapman

For three months, Anthony and I spent
countless hours writing and researching
what became “5 Reasons Why a
Wampyr Didn’t Walk in Highgate
Cemetery” (Feb. 27, 2015). We
consulted online and print resources,
emailed various people, compared
narratives and discussed the article
over many, many phone calls.

The article originated from a Facebook
post. On Nov. 17, 2014, Anthony
shared the South African Vampyre
Culture Center’s “Vampire Research
Society” page on his Facebook group

If I hadn’t previously visited the cemetery (Chapman 2014) and familiarized myself with its
layout, the following passage would have gone right over my head (SAVCC n.d.):

According to his [Sean Manchester’s] narrative, he and some companions entered
the cemetery, unobserved by the police, via the damaged railings of an adjoining
churchyard, and tried to open the door of one particular catacomb to which a
psychic sleepwalking girl [Lusia] had previously led him; but try as they might, it
would not budge an inch. Failing in this, they climbed down on a rope through an
existing hole in its roof, finding empty coffins into which they put garlic, and
sprinkling holy water around.

The passage made me think back to “holes” I’d seen in the roof of the Terrace Catacombs
during my visit to the cemetery. Had Manchester actually been able to squeeze through
them? They looked too small to me. I later asked my partner, who’d accompanied on my visit;
he told me the holes looked too small even for his thin 14-year-old son.

My questions came hot on the heels of a DMCA takedown notice issued by Sean Manchester
on Nov. 18, 2014 over two photographs published in my article “Seeking Vampires in London”
(Hogg 2014b). Anthony and I responded with a counter-notification the next day and we’re
still waiting for our web host to take action.

Manchester’s litigious actions are nothing new; he often uses legal threats to silence criticism
(e.g. Hogg 2014a; Lucard 2006). But if he intended to silence me, he achieved the opposite:
his takedown notice suggested he had something to hide, so I began digging further. Indeed,

Entrance to Highgate Cemetery, London, taken during my Aug. 30,
2014 tour. (Photo: Erin Chapman)

“Did a Wampyr Walk in Highgate?”

the photos he’d forced me to take down were used to juxtapose erroneous claims he made
about tomb locations in the cemetery.

On Nov. 20, Anthony and I discussed my queries about the holes in the ceiling of the Terrace
Catacombs. He suggested I double-check what Manchester said about the event in
Manchester's book The Highgate Vampire: The Infernal World of the Undead Unearthed at
London’s Famous Highgate Cemetery and Environs (1985; 1991).

The incident is discussed in chapter three in both editions. I spent hours analyzing each
edition side by side, comparing paragraphs, highlighting relevant lines — and hit jackpot. I
found numerous inconsistencies in his narratives. Even Anthony was surprised: he
said having a fresh pair of eyes brought new things to light he hadn’t considered before.

Following my queries, I began looking at other locations in the cemetery. Most of the
vampire’s activity centred around the Circle of Lebanon in Highgate Cemetery West. I
couldn’t find a detailed map of the area, so I knew I had to draw my own.

two made their way into the fireplace as I was working on
them. (Photo: Erin Chapman)

It took me about seven hours and six drafts to
draw. I began by sketching the inner circle
after consulting Jane Bulmer’s Highgate
Cemetery. Saved by Its Friends (2014) to
confirm the number of vaults in the inner and
outer circle.

For the next sketch, I used a geometry set to
insert the correct number of vaults and added
in fixed points, specifically the two sets of
steps leading into and out of the circle. This
part was relatively easy because I had a
photo at the top of each side looking down
into the circle.

Photographs taken during my visitto Highgate Cemetery, Aug. 30, 2014. Left: Entrance to the Circle
of Lebanon beside the Columbarium, Highgate Cemetery. (Photo: Erin Chapman) Right: Entrance to
the Circle of Lebanon near the Wooder vault. (Photo: Erin Chapman)

The photos
were part of a
larger set I took
during my visit
to Highgate
Cemetery on
Aug. 30, 2014. I
used another
photograph
from this
collection to
determine the
Egyptian
Avenue’s
position on the

map and its connection to the Circle of Lebanon.

Modified picture
added to Erin
Chapman’s article,
“Seeking Vampires
in London” (Nov.
16, 2014), on Nov.
19, 2014. Left:
“Censored” overlay
obscuring Sean
Manchester’s
photograph of
Lusia pointing at
“the large iron door

Modified picture added to Erin Chapman's article, "Seeking Vampires in London" (Nov. 16, w hirh rnuld not bp
2014), on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014. Left: "Censored" overlay obscuring Sean Manchester's

photograph of Lusia pointing at "the large iron door which could not be opened but beyond Opened but beyond
which lay three empty coffins". Right: Gareth Medway stands in the passage way, pointing at the which lay three
same "large iron door" during a visit to the cemetery on Sunday, March 27, 2011. (The Human em ntv coffins”

Touch) ^ y

Sean Manchester does not
want you to see this photo.

We have been forced to remove it after he
submitted a ‘Notification of Copyright or
DMCA Infringement Complaint” to our
web host on Nov. 16, 2014.

Entrance to

Before I drew the third sketch I
consulted a bird’s eye view of the Circle
of Lebanon from the British Listed
Buildings website to confirm the
placement of the steps.

Bird’s eye view of the Circle of
Lebanon. (Photo: British Listed
Buildings/Bing)

The Beer Mausoleum and the Terrace
Catacombs were added from memory

jjB and by cross-referencing my photos.

the Egyptian Avenue, named for its ancient Egyptian style The on , | ocation | struggled to confirm
architecture. (Photo: Erin Chapman)

on my map was the tomb
Lusia was pointing at in
Manchester’s book; the
same photo Manchester
issued a DMCA takedown
notice against.

It was a smaller opening,
almost like a hallway that
lead to an entrance
directly beneath the Beer
Mausoleum.

Right: Gareth Medway stands in the passage way, pointing at the same “large iron door”
during a visit to the cemetery on March 27, 2011. (Photo: The Human Touch)

I found the precise location by accident while I was zooming in on one of my photos, trying to
read the vault names. During my cemetery tour, the guide didn’t take our group around this
side of the circle, but I at least had a rough idea of where it was located due to the position of
the Beer Mausoleum.

This photograph (left) helped me identify the
“hallway” beneath the Beer Mausoleum (the white
edifice above the Circle, behind the tree) by
zooming into the photograph (right). (Photo: Erin
Chapman)

I needed a better photo to confirm the location so I
tracked down another photograph of the same area.
Unfortunately, it was too dark to tell properly.

Photograph of the “hallway” I found to cross-reference with my own photograph, but the

shading was too dark. (Photo: TripAdvisor)

I imported the dark photo into iPhoto for Mac and played with the lighting and contrasts — until
I saw the gate at the end appear.

By lightening and contrasting the TripAdvisor photograph, I was able
to view the gate at the end of the “hallway” corresponding with Sean
Manchester's photograph ofLusia at the same location.

Before sketch four, I entered all the
tomb names off my scrap paper into a
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. I made a
list for the inner and outer circle and
gradually inserted all the names I found
with my own photos and random ones
online. It was tricky because I needed
large photos that could be zoomed into
in order to read the names.

Next I added the stand-alone vaults
and lined up my name lists
accordingly. The last couple of
sketches was me perfecting the shape
and also squeezing in the names
properly. I had to go over the pencil

sketch with a black fine-liner because when I scanned the map, the pencil version reflected; it
was too “shiny” and didn’t show up well.

The final draft of this map was imperative for the investigation because it helped pinpoint the
key cemetery locations Manchester identified as the vampire’s resting place or places it had
some connection to.

I determined five key cemetery locations from Manchester’s
narrative. They were:

• the Beer Mausoleum

• the Columbarium

• the Terrace Catacombs

• the Family Vault of Mr. Charles Fisher Wace

• the Family Vault of Sir James Tyler.

You can see them on my map. Areas marked “Blank” or
left unnamed represent tombs with descriptions too difficult to
read in the photographs I consulted.

Note also the stairs on opposite sides of the Circle of
Lebanon: both lead to a higher level, where the Terrace
Catacombs are located.

After completing the map we were now able to examine Manchester’s narrative more closely.

I had some questions regarding the Columbarium’s contents as Manchester alluded to coffins
housed in the Columbarium (Manchester 1985, 53):

I felt that it was time to re-examine the vaults of the Columbarium and their
mouldy contents; not least of all the cavernous crypt which contained the three
empty coffins.

I found Manchester’s statement odd, because columbaria are usually used to house urns
containing cremains, not coffins (“Columbarium” n.d.). Manchester also mentioned the
Columbarium many other times in his book (Manchester 1985, 24, 33, 46-7, 53, 54, 1 19);
though I later discovered he was mistakenly referring to the Circle of Lebanon.

I also delved into his claims about the Terrace Catacombs. Manchester claimed when he
entered the Terrace Catacombs he found three coffins (Manchester 1985, 51). But how could
he if the recesses were sealed with glass windows or inscribed slabs? (“The Catacombs and
Terrace in Highgate (Western) Cemetery, Camden.” n.d.)

I figured the best way to get answers to my questions was to contact Highgate Cemetery
representatives. I sent them an email through their website on Nov. 21, 2014:

I was doing some research on catacombs and I was interested in Highgate
Cemetery West since I actually visited there from Canada in September [sic] and
had a lovely tour.

yv^\VN\\v p. /////// ///7V'.

T?rr ut <3 m« o^bs

Final draft: My Highgate Vampire Map,
depicting key locations associated with
the Highgate Vampire. ( Copyright ©
Erin Chapman 2014)

My question was regarding the Columbarium and the Terrace Catacombs.

If memory serves correct the Columbarium is located in the Circle of Lebanon. To
my understanding the Columbarium only houses urns and not coffins. Can you
confirm this for me? Also is there any way to access the Columbarium besides the
front gate? If my understanding is correct it is located underneath the Mausoleum
in the Circle of Lebanon? 1 Is it linked to other adjacent vaults? How many urns did
the Columbarium hold and do you have any photos of what it looks like inside
available online?

Lastly, regarding the Terrace of Catacombs I have the information in the Highgate
Cemetery Book I bought when I was there and it explains that they housed 825
recesses. Can you confirm if each apertures was seals [sic] with inscribed slabs or
small glass inspection windows? I found that it used to cost 10 pounds for a place
in the Catacombs. Do you know what was the last year that a space was sold in
this area of the cemetery.

Sorry for all the questions, but if you could either help me out or put me in touch
with someone that could that would be amazing.

I didn’t receive a response as quickly as I liked so I emailed the cemetery’s burial department
a few days later. I figured they checked their email more frequently because they deal with
sales (Nov. 24, 2014):

I emailed the [Highgate Cemetery website] general info account and didn’t receive
a reply yet so I was hoping you could perhaps direct me to the right person to
speak with. I am doing a research project on Highgate and I had some questions
about the T errace Catacombs and Columbarium. I visited there from Canada in
September [sic], but had a few questions. If you could help me out that would be
great.

I was right and received the following reply from the cemetery’s Registrar on Nov. 26
(Bickersteth 2014):

Thank you for your email. I deal with arranging burials and the granting and legal
transfer of exclusive rights of burial and not with general enquiries.

You will no doubt receive a reply to your original email in due course.

As of writing this I haven’t received a response from Highgate Cemetery.

Since the cemetery was taking its sweet time, I figured I would try another avenue. On Dec.
19, 2014 I reached out to the other major player in this case, David Farrant via email.

I was hoping David could shed some light on questions regarding the Beer Mausoleum and
Terrace Catacombs. It seemed logical to contact someone involved with the actual case back
in the day.

Going full circle to the “holes” in the Terrace Catacombs roof, David was able to confirm they
were sealed with glass and certainly not big enough for Manchester to squeeze through. He
also explained there was no way to gain entry to the Beer Mausoleum from the lower
entrance in the Circle of Lebanon.

I found so many inconsistencies in the sections of Manchester’s book I reviewed that my
article was turning into a 10,700+ word monster. It started to overwhelm me; I had no idea
there’d be so many plot holes to cover.

The more we edited the article, recurring themes began to emerge and we were able to
narrow down Manchester’s flawed account into specific categories.

Anthony came up with the idea of using subheadings for the article. This meant we had to
shuffle things around; we ended up with ten sections. He debated splitting the article into
separate posts because we had so much content to work with.

One article would focus on Manchester’s geographical mistakes and the second would
address questions I had after reviewing chapter three in his book. This lead him to the list
concept; turning the article into a “listicle.” The benefit of a list format was it would condense
the article even further, which meant more editing.

To get an understanding of how much editing this article went through, I will explain our
process. Anthony and I like to do what we call “live editing.” We use a remote access
program called TeamViewer which allows us to remotely access each other’s computers.

Essentially, he can see what I can see and navigate too. We then work our way through the
article while talking on the phone using Viber. For the first article and this blog entry we have
clocked at least 170 hours on the phone for editing and discussions purposes.

This article was probably one of the more gruelling ones we’ve tackled yet. It even beats my
Vampire Facials article and Charles Runels interview from last year, which were both doozies
to write and took two months combined!

Anthony put in so much time on this article with me, neglecting some of his own posts so he
deserves massive props. This wouldn’t have been possible without his help. Thanks Anthony!
And for everyone, else stay tuned for the next instalment of “5 Reasons a Wampyr Didn’t
Walk in Highgate.”

Notes

1 I made a mistake when typing my email and questioned if the Columbarium was located
beside the Beer Mausoleum when it is not.

References

Bickersteth, Justin. 2014. E-mail message to author, Nov. 26.

“The Catacombs and Terrace in Highgate (Western) Cemetery, Camden.” n.d. British Listed
Buildings. Accessed April 2, 2015. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-478284-the-
catacombs-and-terrace-in-highgate-we.

Chapman, Erin. 2014. “Seeking Vampires in London.” Vamped. Nov. 16. Accessed Dec. 6,
2014. http://vamped.Org/2014/1 1/16/seeking-vampires-in-london/.

“Columbarium.” n.d. Wikipedia, last modified Jan. 17, 2015 at 14:38. Accessed April 2, 2015.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbarium.

Hogg, Anthony. 2014a. “My Number One Fan.” The Vampirologist (blog), April 30. Accessed
March 14, 2015. https://thevampirologist.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/my-number-one-fan/.

. 2014b. “‘Vampire Hunter' Hammers Stake Through Article.” Vamped, Nov. 27.

Accessed March 14, 2015. http://vamped.org/2014/11/27/vampire-hunter-hamrners-stake-
through-article/.

Lucard, Alex. 2006. “What Everyone Has Been Waiting to Hear.” Icon. Showstoppah. Main
Eventah. (blog), Dec. 12. Accessed March 14, 2015.
http://www.alexanderlucard.com/wordpress/?p=4.

Manchester, Sean. 1985. The Highgate Vampire: The Infernal World of the Undead
Unearthed at London’s Famous Highgate Cemetery and Environs. London: British Occult
Society.

SAVCC. n.d. “Vampire Research Society.” The South African Vampyre Culture Center.
Accessed Nov. 23, 2014. http://vampyreculturecenter.wordpress.com/misconceptions/the-
science-of-vampyres/non-vc-sites-posing-as-information-resources-about-the-vc/the-vampire-
research-society/.

CERN researchers confirm existence of the Force | CERN

web.cern.ch

Posted by Cian O'Luanaigh on 1 Apr 2015. Last updated 2 Apr 2015, 10.13.

The Force has proven a popular research tool for the CERN beams department (Image: Max
Brice and Daniel Dominguez/CERN)

Update 2 April 2015: Enjoy our April fool? But seriously folks, this week CERN is busy with
restarting the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

Researchers at the Large Hadron Collider just recently started testing the accelerator for
running at the higher energy of 13 TeV, and already they have found new insights into the
fundamental structure of the universe. Though four fundamental forces - the strong force,
the weak force, the electromagnetic force and gravity - have been well documented and
confirmed in experiments over the years, CERN announced today the first unequivocal
evidence for the. Force. “Very impressive, this result is,” said a diminutive green
spokesperson for the laboratory.

“The Force is what gives a particle physicist his powers,” said CERN theorist Ben Kenobi of
the University of Mos Eisley, Tatooine. “It’s an energy field created by all living things. It
surrounds us; and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.”

Though researchers are as yet unsure what exactly causes the Force, students and
professors at the laboratory have already started to harness its power. Practical applications
so far include long-distance communication, influencing minds, and lifting heavy things out of
swamps.

Kenobi says he first started teaching the ways of the Force to a young lady who was having
trouble revising for her particle-physics exams. "She said that I was her only hope," says
Kenobi. "So I just kinda took it from there. I designed an experiment to detect the Force, and
passed on my knowledge."

Kenobi's seminal paper "May the Force be with EU" - a strong argument that his experiment
should be built in Europe - persuaded the CERN Council to finance the installation of dozens
of new R2 units for the CERN data centre*. These plucky little droids are helping physicists to
cope with the flood of data from the laboratory's latest experiment, the Thermodynamic
Injection Energy (TIE) detector, recently installed at the LHC.

"We're very pleased with this new addition to CERN's accelerator complex," said data analyst
Luke Daniels of human-cyborg relations. "The TIE detector has provided us with plenty of
action, and what's more it makes a really cool sound when the beams shoot out of it."

But the research community is divided over the discovery. Dark-matter researcher Dave
Vader was unimpressed, breathing heavily in disgust throughout the press conference
announcing the results, and dismissing the cosmological implications of the Force with the
quip "Asteroids do not concern me".

Rumours are growing that this rogue researcher hopes to delve into the Dark Side of the
Standard Model, and could even build his own research station some day. With the academic
community split, many are tempted by Vader's invitations to study the Dark Side, especially
researchers working with red lasers, and anyone really with an evil streak who looks good in
dark robes.

"We hope to continue to study the Force, and perhaps use it to open doors with our minds
and fly around and stuff," said TIE experimentalist Fan Buoi. "Right now, to be honest, I don't
really care how it works. The theory department have some crackpot idea about life forms
called midi-chlorians, but frankly I think that poorly thought out explanations like that just
detract from how cool the Force really is."

With the research ongoing, many at CERN are already predicting that the Force will awaken
later this year.

*Sources close to the Data Centre later revealed that these were not the droids they were
looking for.

http://cern. ch/copyright

Chasing the Mysterious Clay-Eaters - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

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There was a strange community in Nineteenth Century
North Carolina, according to legend, who subsisted
entirely on clay. The addiction was unlike any known
vice, even worse than whiskey, morphine, or laudanum.

There was much ado about "clay-eaters,” but what really
lay behind the surge of public interest? Was it really
documenting the history of an unknown community, or
was it more about promoting fantasy for profit?

There was a plethora of dubious information on alleged
Appalachian “communities” during the late 1800s and
early 1900s. Despite tremendous differences in culture,
ethnicity, and geography, every group was eerily similar
to the next. Researchers today are left to wonder if even
a fraction of what yellow journalists documented is
remotely true, or if the majority of their work was based
on pure fiction. The "clay eaters” are yet another group
that seems to be far more rumor than reality.

History

The act of eating clay is not new to humanity, and certainly not to America. In fact, as far back as 1808, a
Dr. Joseph Pitt wrote about the "poor whites” along the Roanoke River in North Carolina who ate dirt due
to a dietary deficiency. By the 1880s, material had been published on these strange and elusive
individuals for nearly a century. Even scientific publications were not immune to spreading "awareness”
on the tragic plight of the clay-eater. There was a variety of terms for them, including “clay eaters,” “sand
eaters,” "sand hillers,” and “dirt eaters.”

Philadelphia's Dr. Frank Getchell was the primary source of North Carolina clay-eater lore. According to
Getchell, he’d gone on a hunting expedition to the wilds of North Carolina. While in the remote northern
part of Salisbury County, he came across a “miserable race” of humans living in the mountains. They
were ignorant, superstitious, and could only scrape together a "wretched existence.”

They didn't always eat clay. The practice started when the crops failed and the community was left with
nothing else for food. The clay eaters lived in clusters of 3-5 families, although sometimes as many as 6
lived together. The houses were usually crude and made of misshapen or irregular logs. No homes were
insulated in any way and no windows contain glass or shutters. Large holes in the wall were stuffed with
rags or old clothing.

Their cabins floors were always broken and coated with green mold. The parents had a rough "corn-
shuck” mattress and the children slept on piles of hay in the corners. The fireplace usually encompasses
the entire wall. Their family pets were mongrel dogs that ate nearly as much clay as their owners.

Their settlements were always near strange geological formations where customary red clay turned pale
or white. The clay is often found between beds of sand. The vegetation in these seemingly prehistoric
areas changed as much as the soil.

The clay eaters occasionally held feasts called “dinings” where the menu was primarily clay. Sometimes
these feasts offered many "pones,” or pans, of coarse cornbread and summer berries. Their drink of

choice was always moonshine.

Everyone in the community was skeletal because of their addiction. They started their children on the
stuff as soon as they could ingest solid food. What made matters worse, the children soon turned into
raving addicts. Many parents tied their children to the table and forced them to eat normal food because
their craving for clay was far worse than their hunger.

All of the clay eaters were lazy and indolent. Getchell believed the clay eaters ingested the substance
because it contained an addictive chemical. He brought a sample home, tested it, and found it was
loaded with arsenic. He then said arsenic eating was common elsewhere in the globe, including Austria
and Sweden. It was clear the community had an uncontrollable addiction to arsenic.

Familiar Words

The isolated community of the clay-eater was primitive, just as primitive as Melungeons in neighboring
Tennessee. They, too, lived as their ancestors had 150 years earlier. They were so unusual in
appearance that they often frightened strangers.

Clay-eaters appeared wholly unearthly, even though they were of simple English descent. Some writers
called them “hardy” while others claimed they were thin and frail. Some said they spoke with a marked
English accent, even though they were natural citizens. Sometimes an oil in the clay was said to “sustain
life.” At other times, a chemical in the soil made them addicted. Some accounts said clay consumption
was just to supplement vitamins and minerals that weren't in their normal diet.

Other sources gave the clay fantastic healing properties and said clay eaters believed it increased libido
in men, or eased childbirth in women. More disturbing accounts reported clay eaters trembled like
someone suffering malaria or a high fever. More confused accounts stated clay eaters didn't live in a
communities at all, but were vagabonds and drifters who lived in hovels. They made their living by
begging.

They had large, deep-set eyes, high cheekbones, and everyone had dark shadows beneath their eyes.
Their stomachs were distended, they often had spots on their tongues, and the clay caused their teeth to
fall out. They aged prematurely and often died young. Most had saffron yellow or bluish-hued skin. Clay
eaters had no regard for the future. They were a heathen people who worshipped the moon. They
frequently sold their children, traded their spouses, and were often criminally inclined.

Digging Deep

The lore of the clay-eater is a great deal like that of
Melungeons. They were mythical, subhuman creatures
who hid amid the “wilds” of darkest Appalachia.
Fortunately, North Carolina is well documented by this
period in its history. In short, G etch ell's clay eaters didn't
exist at all. Dr. Getchell's account was exposed by a
number of North Carolina authorities shortly after the
tale first became public, but his version was still
accepted as fact across the rest of the nation. His
account, though false, was not only taken as fact, it was
promoted throughout many newspapers and scientific
journals.

Getchell indeed went on a hunting trip in North Carolina,
which was accurate; however, there are no mountainous
areas in Salisbury County. Unfortunately, one of his
guides was a fantastic storyteller who had no idea what

kind of literary firestorm his words would initiate. The
storyteller assumed Getchell knew he was fabricating,
so he added bombastic detail after detail. He
entertained his fellow locals as much as the “Yank.”

Getchell believed the story as fact and notified medical
and scientific journals as soon as he returned home. No
amount of denial or refuting swayed the momentum of
the stereotype. At the time of the works published, many
in North Carolina had never even heard of “clay eaters.”
As for “moon worship,” this ridiculous claim was used to
describe farmers who used the lunar phases for planting, a practice still common among farmers and
gardeners today.

Dubious reports of strange (usually-fictitious) Appalachian communities share several key features:

• The article contains just enough legitimate information to be accepted as fact.

• The communities, if they exist, are in places that are relatively uninhabited at the time of
the article, so there’s little risk the writer will be called out forfakery.

• Fewer people had the means for legal representation in libelous cases. Areas that had
no power or influence couldn’t easily demand retractions or corrections.

• The communities are always small and remote with little outside communication. This
can also mean no witnesses to refute the claims.

• All such communities are impoverished and depraved, even when the writer admits some
of the residents among them have wealth and property.

• Most people actually living in the area have never heard of the community.

• They all lived “as their ancestors did 150 years ago.”

• They either have bizarre forms of worship, or no worship at all.

• They’re all ignorant, superstitious, or both. Even though much of the nation was
superstitious at the time of the stories, the respective community is somehow more
handicapped by it.

• They’re always “lazy and unambitious,” according to the writer. This is also true of
Melungeons, called “lazy” by writers like Will Allen Dromgoole, right after she described
their orchards and tobacco farming. Anyone who has worked in an orchard, or in tobacco,
knows there’s no such thing as “lazy” producers.

What’s the Truth?

Geophagy, or pica, is the formal term for craving substances regarded as non-edible. Clay is one such
substance. Persons with hookworm disease often experience cravings for things that aren't normally
eaten. The disease comes from a lack of hygiene. They also exhibit the symptoms attributed to “clay
eaters.” There are likely isolated instances of clay consumption due to this, but the idea of entire
communities is far-fetched.

Some today claim such consumption was done by individuals seeking medicinal support from a chemical
component called kaolin. This was exclusively a medicinal practice and was not done regularly. There
are also claims of pregnant women who crave clay, but pica occurs in 25% - 30% of all pregnancies and

has no significance in relation to a specific substance.

History

Clay eating in America is often said to come from African-American slaves. This is not entirely true, if
factual at all. Native Americans engaged in the practice long before settlers or slaves arrived, particularly
the tribes of the southwest in Arizona and California. Certain portions of South America continue the
practice today.

Centuries ago, clay eating was also practiced in France, Italy, and Germany, among individuals who
worked in mines or other unsanitary environments. It was also reported in the ancient world, in such
places as Greece and Rome.

It is a risky practice, as many medical authorities suggest that clay might actually absorb key nutrients
the body needs. There hasn't been enough research to state definitively whether clay prevents anemia,
or actually causes it. Clay can contain natural toxins, such as arsenic. It's reported to “remove heavy
metals 1 ' from the system, but can strip away vital substances such as iron. Clay coats the digestive tract,
which means prescriptions medications, such as antibiotics, heart medicine, or even hormones (birth
control pills), will be less effective or not absorbed by the body at all.

Clay eating has been reported in the southern states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina,
Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee, as well as in non-southern West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri,
Wisconsin, Arizona, California, and beyond.

Conclusion

Like their Melungeon counterparts in Tennessee, the term “clay-eater” was nothing more than a
derogatory term for people considered poor. Both groups were given mythical attributes by non-
members and entire communities of both have been distributed across the nation, regardless of
documentation or fact.

Sources

Andrews, Sidney. The South since the War, as Shown by Fourteen Weeks of Travel and
Observation in Georgia and the Carolinas. N.p.: Ticknorand Fields, 1866. Print.

The Church Standard 82 (1901): n. pag. Web.

The Clay-worker 41 -42 (1904): n. pag. Web.

“Geophagy.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2014.

North Carolina Medical Journal 21-22 (1888): n. pag. Web.

Pinkerton, Kathrene Sutherland Gedney, Robert Eugene Pinkerton, and Ralph P. Coleman.
Penitentiary Post. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page, 1920. Print.

Scientific American 58-59 (1888): n. pag. Web.

P Copyright 2014 Evemote Corporation. All rights reserved. V .en-markup-crop-options { top: Idpx ! important ; left: 50% ! important ; margin-left:
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Clarintha's Long Ride

lrgaf.org

The Old West had many courageous and hardy women pioneers, but the ride of this
woman surpasses all in female bravery.

Because their careers were flamboyant and spectacular, the stamina and hardihood of
women like Calamity Jane, Belle Starr and Etta Place have been much acclaimed in
sagas of the Old West, even though most of their adventures were outside the law.
Often we forget the courage and guts with which many an ordinary, respectable wife
and mother met the hardships and dangers of frontier life.

One such woman was Clarintha, wife of George Washington Draper of Arkansas and
Texas.

Because her husband was away in Confederate uniform, Mrs. Draper was alone with
two small children when ruthless border raiders swooped down on their little Arkansas
farm. Hidden out in the brush with her two babies, helpless and sick at heart, this
young pioneer wife watched their log cabin home go up in flames, leaving nothing but
the clothes on their backs, a little food she had managed to hide, and a horse and
saddle the raiders had somehow missed.

With the perils of guerilla warfare terrorizing the region, Clarintha Draper made her
decision. Newcomers in Arkansas, the Drapers had friends and kin in Fannin County,
Texas. There she might find refuge for herself and children until the war was over.

"Fannin County was more than 200 miles away," she related in later years, "but I knew
I had to get there somehow. I just saddled up my horse, put my little boy on behind
me, held my little girl on the saddle in front of me, and struck out for Texas. The boy
was four, the little girl, two. I didn't have much food to carry along for them. I could
only hope that I would come across farms or settlements often enough along the way,
and trust in the kindness of human nature that they would feed us, for I had no
money."

In that trust she was not mistaken. But it was not an easy, Sunday-go-to-meeting
ride. Even before she got out of Arkansas she suddenly found herself right smack in
the midst of a raging battle between Confederate and Union troops. At first she
thought she could change course and ride around the battlefield, but when a
cannonball whizzed by so close that it almost clipped her horse's ears off, Mrs. Draper
took to the nearest timber and lay low.

Although she only caught occasional glimpses of soldiers, cannonballs kept falling all
around them. One fell so close that, when her little boy reached out and touched it, it
was still so hot it burned his hand. Shielding her babies with her own body, Mrs.
Draper prayed, not only for her children, herself and her horse, but also for her soldier
husband who might be in the midst of the same kind of battle danger somewhere far

away. To her dying day, Clarintha always believed that it was her prayers which
saved them, for not even the horse was hit.

How many hours the battle raged she could not tell, but at last the battle line shifted
away from them. As soon as she could no longer hear the whiz of cannonballs, she
got herself and the children back on the horse and headed west again.

Getting on a battle-frightened horse, in full ankle-length skirt and petticoats, with two
yj s jt small children, was anything but easy. Staying on when the horse spooked at the
The bodies of dead soldiers on the battlefield was harder still.

Lonq

Riders'^ 611 s ^ e reac ^ ec * the Arkansas River, soldiers on guard duty would not let her cross
Guild! on ^ erry ’ anc * there was 110 bridge.

"We've got our orders, ma'am," they told her. "Too many spies sneakin' through the
lines."

Mrs. Draper was no spy, but she was headed for Texas and had her neck bowed to
get there. She rode upstream a few yards, forced her horse into the water and made
him swim it.

"The water was so deep and swift out about the middle," she wrote, "that it washed my
little boy plumb off the horse. That was one time on the trip when I sure wished I
hadn't ever tried to make such a ride. But from the pull on my dress I could tell that he
was still hanging on, so I just kept calling to him to hold on tight, and asking God to
help him. I reckon they both heard me, for we did get across safe."

Safe - but soaked. Within a mile their wet clothes were frozen stiff on them. Mrs.
Draper had nothing with which to start a fire. All she could do was keep on going.
Then she came across some soldiers out on patrol, and they made a fire for the
shivering woman and children to dry out by.

Another bunch of soldiers she met were not so kind. One of their horses, a scrawny
runt, was all played out, and they forced her to swap with them. Not, however, without
a struggle. She managed to kick one soldier's teeth in and bloody another one's nose
before they finally dragged her off her horse.

The plug they left her with was too worn out to carry more than the two youngsters, so
Clarintha put them on him, the four-year-old valiantly holding his little sister in the
saddle, and struck out again on foot, leading the horse. That first day on foot she
made almost twenty miles, slept out under an oak tree with very little to eat - and still
made another twenty the next. On the third day she came to a ranch where the kind-
hearted owner "traded" her a good strong horse for the old crowbait.

"From then on it was tolerable easy," Clarintha Draper reminisced in her elder years,
"except I was scared all the time that we might run into a band of roving Comanches.
Only we didn't. Of course we did have to swim the Red River when we came to it, but

it wasn't as wide and deep and swift as the Arkansas. We got across all right, and
there was the sun to keep us from freezing.

"Yes, I reckon it was a tolerable hard ride for a lone woman and two young-'uns, but
when we finally got to Fannin County I was mighty glad we had come when we did.
Because we found my old mother almost starved to death on account of everything
she owned had been taken by raiders. I don't know but she might have died if I hadn’t
got there to take care of her.

"I was a mite tuckered out myself after that long ride, but no so tuckered but what I
climbed right back on my horse and went looking for grub among the nearest
neighbors - who weren't very near. After that I found work, weaving, hoeing com, just
any kind of work at all, to earn us enough for combread and beans to live on till my
husband got back from the war to take care of us."

Clarintha Draper and her husband, George Washington Draper settled in the late
1860s on Cold Creek, Llano county where they had a successful ranch for many
years. Clarintha lived to be 105 years old.

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Classic Mulhattons from the Famous Liar - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

by admin • October 30, 2014

HAUNT OF
BLACKBEARD

Gave on Wormelly’s Creek
Whore Ho Hid HlmscIL

These are brief, paraphrased, and summarized articles from
the tales and legends Mulhatton claimed. This is a unique
glimpse into the imaginings of the “Famous Liar." Whenever
possible, the date of their publication is included. Unfortunately,
using the entirety of every article would make it difficult for the
web reader, and require a website unto itself. Supplemental
information is provided when necessary. A few contain actual
quotes from the original articles.

Exhuming Washington and Lincoln (1875)

MELON CROP NOT GOOD

famous liar

The bodies of General George Washington and President
Abraham Lincoln are going to be exhumed and displayed at the
Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Money
from the display is going to be used for the completion of the
Washington Monument.

Mammoth’s Rival (1875)

A new cave has been discovered in Pike County, Kentucky, that's even larger than the Mammoth Cave.
The river that flows through it is large enough to accommodate a full-sized river steamboat. The rooms
are made of rare jewels, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. Virgin gold lines the hallways and floors. The
subterranean river ripples across beds of diamonds. Strange, massive skeletons were hidden deep
within the earth. A score of mummies found are 18-feet-tall and covered in red hair. The cave is 3 miles
long and over a mile wide. The narrow opening is almost impassable. One chamber is covered in rich
gold quartz, another in diamonds and rubies.

Note: People flocked to Pikeville, Kentucky, in hopes of getting a piece of the wealth from the caves.
Land there sold for as much as $100 per foot during the rush. English tourists arrived and even P. T.
Barnum visited in hopes of getting the mummies for his attractions.

Revenge of the Cats (1876)

A larger furrier in New York City is desperately seeking cats. He declares he will pay top dollar for any
feline that reaches his warehouse.

Note: The paper stated people needed to have the cats in Litchfield, Kentucky, by a specified day. This
was in order to deliver them when the furrier needed. Residents from all over Grayson County crated up
their cats and brought them to Litchfield. Farmers spent days chasing feral cats to ship off.

Eventually, the people were told the truth. Many were so angry they turned the cats loose in town. A few
ingenious individuals crated a number of them and shipped them to Mulhatton's hardware company. The
crate was opened in the store and wild cats ran in all directions.

The Cave Tribe (1880)

An immense cave has been located in northern Wyoming with a strange tribe of natives living inside.
They're nearly white, but their manner and customs are strongly reminiscent of the Egyptians.

The only source of light is a long, deep canyon that can’t be penetrated. They've lived there for centuries
due to the aggressive Sioux population nearby. The Sioux believe they're from the otherworld.

Note: The story reached Omaha and a newspaper reporter was sent to investigate. Unfortunately, he
was captured by very real Sioux natives and held for a week.

Birmingham is Sinking! (1883)

The citizens of Birmingham, Alabama, had recently undertaken the construction of a large building
downtown. Unfortunately, the workers digging the foundation cracked the earth's crust. A massive river
rages beneath the city and buildings are falling into the expansive cavern below. Right now, the corner of
City Hall has already dropped 4 feet and the fissures are rapidly growing wider.

Note: Actually, Mulhatton was in Birmingham Alabama in 1883 and came across a brief article about the
town's new artesian well. The group excavating the well happened upon a small stream of flowing water
around 300 feet below the surface.

The Thing (1883)

People in Northern Wisconsin have discovered a monster living in their lake. The creature is half-fish,
half-snake, and is the size of a whale. It crawls out of the water at night and preys on flocks of sheep,
calves and colts.

Mars Attacks! (1880s)

Professor Birdwhistle, of the Lawrenceburg Academy of Science, has studied the relationship of the
planets for several decades. His interest has been particularly focused on the activity around Mars.

Birdwhistle reports that Martians frequently visit the earth. They travel back and forth by routes through
the air. The professor also stated he'd witnessed a number of battles between the native Martians and
horde of invaders. The Martians were victorious.

Brown County Meteor (1884)

An immense meteor fell in Brown County, Texas. The huge rock fell on William's Ranch. The stench of
sulfur lingers for miles. All livestock has been killed by the toxic fumes. Despite being in the ground, it
continued to sizzle. It had withered acres of plantations and scorched the earth for miles around. The
human death toll from the destruction is up to eight, but more is expected.

The natives were frightened so badly that they fled. The meteor covered an acre of ground and sank
200 feet into the soil, while over 80 feet still protruded from the ground. The meteor landed on a Mexican
household and buried their house as well as the occupants.

The county is now nearly depopulated. Scientists and reporters by the train carload have poured into the
area. Their numbers were so vast that there wasn't enough transportation or accommodation for them

all.

Note: The Texas meteor gained notoriety in London and Paris. Many reporters came to search for the
meteor before they realized who authored it. It's estimated that six colleges sent people to investigate.

According to Mulhatton, many of these reporters wandered the Texas wilderness for weeks in hopes of
finding the space rock. Many were too afraid to return to their home country without a good story so they
settled in the area. The reporter from the London Times operated a saloon in Cheyenne. The reporter
for the Paris Temps was a barber on Delaware Street. The Chow-Chow reporter from Hong Kong owned
a laundry on Franklin Avenue, in St. Louis.

Big Cliffy Picnic (1884)

“The ride down the Paducah and Elizabethtown Railroad was unusually pleasant. There was an

epidemic of picnics and barbeques, invitations were issued at every station. There were so many
invitations we couldn’t attend them all.

We attended the picnic in Big Cliffy, my native town. All the ladies were present and made the event
splendid. All of the big guns in the county were there: Hon. Praetor Knott, Dr. Duvall, Sam Goodman, Mr.
William Evans, of Evans, Staadake & Co., of Litchfield, Mr. Wortham, of McCall & Wortham, Cliff and
Steve, and the hero of Big Cliffy . There were a great many other big guns and good guns and sons of
guns.

"We witnessed a thousand other Honorables, but no Dishonorables, as the festival was very select, and
was attended only by nice people — gentlemen, ladies, and big guns like the Hon. Proctor Knott and the
Hero of Big Cliffy. It is estimated that 30,000 people attended the event.”

Note: This is an excerpt of the tale that got Mulhatton “kidnapped” by a gang of outlaws.

Farming with Geese (1886)

A central Georgia Farmer has driven a dozen geese into his cotton fields. He repeats this process every
morning, but with good reason. He fills several gourds [hollowed out, dried squash] with water and ties
them around the geeses' necks. The gourds have an opening on the side. He has trained his geese to
weed his cotton patch and they drink from one another's gourd. A magnificent mineral in the water allows
him to train his geese to outperform all others.

Star of Bethlehem (1887)

People of Kentucky have witnessed a new star in the sky that's identical to the Star of Bethlehem, as
followed by the wise men in the Scripture.

Note: The eminent astronomer, Richard A. Proctor, actually took the time to disprove this claim.
Professor Pickering, of Harvard University, likewise objected to the story and declared it was erroneous.

Miracle Birth (1 887)

Mrs. Julia Nash gave birth to a posthumous child. The baby boy is remarkable because his grandmother,
great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother are still alive. He represents the 5th generation. His
father died one month earlier.

Defending the Drummer (1 887)

Walter Ridgeley, of Omaha, Nebraska, killed six members of the outlaw Murphy gang. He defended an
innocent drummer.

Note: Mulhatton was a drummer and a telegram sent to Omaha's mayor proved the story was fiction.
The Death of Cole Younger (1887)

Cole Younger, notorious outlaw, has drowned in Wyoming.

Note: At the time of the story, Younger was in prison with his two brothers. Younger caught wind of the
story and had a laugh at his supposed demise. He said he would run the risk of being drowned if he
would be released from the pen. Editors soon realized that Mulhatton was in that region.

The Perpetual Dress and other Tidbits (1889)

Recently, a gentleman came forward who said he still had a piece of his grandmother's dress. It was
made from her own cotton, grown 125 years earlier on the family farm in Shelby County, Kentucky.

The cotton was grown precisely 1 1 years before Kentucky existed.

A trunk was found in Harrodsburg that came over on the Mayflower. It's rumored to be in fine state and
owned by a man who was 116 years old.

Lastly, a Mercer County man got his finer tangled in the plow line. It was pulled out by the roots. He
wrapped his wound and continued plowing.

The Arbor Diaboll (1 890)

A party of scientists has discovered the Arbor Diaboll tree in Mexico. This carnivorous plant preys upon
any creature that climbs to its branches. It folds the branches around its victim and devours them whole.
Its favorite foods appear to be wild cats, birds, and other tree animals.

Note: It is also believed Mulhatton wrote about magnetic cacti that stalked humans, but no further
information can be located.

Frozen in Mississippi (1891)

Last week in Mississippi, the thermostat registered a balmy 75 degrees. The farm hands were harvesting
a crop of popping corn, but finished around mid-day on Saturday. The farm owner gave them the rest of
the weekend off. The group left the farm to go into town.

Unfortunately, the crib [storage shed] where the corn was housed caught fire. All of the corn popped and
flew over the land. So much corn exploded that the ground turned white before it stopped.

A 28-year-old mule was tied in the barn. Due to poor vision from age, and the fact that it was a mule, it
believed the white around the barn was snow and quickly froze to death.

Hazelton Gone! (1894)

The village of Scotch Valley, near Hazelton, Kentucky, has just been swallowed up by the ground.

The Balloon Tragedies (1894)

Miss Beatrice Van Dresden, an accomplished balloonist, encountered tragedy in the state of New York.
While ascending, as she'd done so many times before, she fell 1,500 feet to her death. She'd ascended
20 times before and had never encountered any problems.

A child spent her summer on the lake with her family. She was enjoying the short when an Italian balloon
salesman passed by. He held a bunch of balloons in each hand. She begged her mother for a balloon
and the mother consented.

Her mother paid the balloon salesman, but he had to make change. He handed the entire bunch to the
little girl to hold while he did.

Before the two adults realized it, the little girl had been lifted high above. Luckily, a rifle marksman was
also staying at the resort who heard their cries. He shot one balloon at a time until the child was lowered
to safety.

Note: Miss Dresden encountered a horrible experience, but fortunately, no such person exists. The child
at the lake is also fictitious.

Hobo Horrors (1895)

Joe Mulhatton told reporters about the murderous Southern Pacific railroad employees. He had taken to
living as a hobo, despite claiming to have means, just to see what he could see across the nation. He

was stunned by the atrocities and cruelties exhibited by the rail personnel.

He claimed that a brakeman threw a poor Russian Jew from a moving train near Mohawk Summit in
California. He helped bury him. They were trying to go east. Another hobo was killed when a conductor
kicked him in the jaw. There were three murders, altogether, between Mohawk Summit and Salton
Station. Two old Germans and a Swede, named Peter Johnson, were all thrown from the train.

On a side note, Mulhatton never said exactly how he escaped the brakeman's brutality. It's also
interesting to note that Salton Station is now submerged beneath the Salton Sea.

The Seven Monkeys of Joe Park’s Ranch (1895)

Joe Parks, Louisville planter, has discovered a way to work his farm for a fraction of the cost. Parks
imported seven simians from Africa and they've successfully learned to pick cotton. He declared he was
getting rid of all his hired help now that he had monkeys who could help him. They require little care, no
pay, and will help him earn even more.

Note: Mulhatton read an article about P.T. Barnum's experiments with training elephants when he got
the idea. Joe Parks was an incredibly successful planter in Louisville Parks, Kentucky. He also had to
leave the country for a few weeks after this story was published. Mulhatton always felt bad that Parks
endured the trouble. The “field hand” workers throughout the Southeast were enraged by the article.

The story was so convincing that the Knights of Labor of Kentucky union got involved. They denounced
the importation of monkey labor from Africa. The organization declared it was worse than even the
importation of European pauper labor. The organization threatened with strikes, riots, and bloodshed.

England's The London Standard also got in on the discussion. The paper authored an article titled “The
New Labor Problems” and devoted a column and a half to Joe Park's situation.

The InkWell (1896)

Residents of Dawson, Kentucky, have just discovered a marvelous natural inkwell. Hundreds have
already carried bottles away. A group of people had been digging a cistern when they happened upon
the flowing ink. The substance flows freely from pens and dries quickly. It looks no different from
synthetic ink. It is currently being analyzed by a battery of scientists.

The Edible Heat Wave (1899)

The weather is so hot in Richmond, Kentucky, that popcorn pops on the stalk. Squire Kinnard said his
sweet potatoes were baked in the ground, so they're ready to eat when he digs them up. Bright
Swineboard said his sorghum patch produced molasses from the stalk. The sun's heat has boiled it
down before it comes out.

The Ripsey Meteor (1900)

A meteor careened over the Ripsey Mine, in Pinal County, Arizona. The fireball killed and mutilated
thousands of sheep.

Note: This is one of Mulhatton's best as it was even circulated by the Associated Press. A party from
Harvard decided to investigate the meteor, despite the fact that not a single scientific body had vouched
for the claim. They even had a special car made so they could approach the hot meteor. Mulhatton
regretted writing this due to the inconvenience it caused. He said himself that if he could've reimbursed
the men for their time and effort, he would've.

Evil Sun Spots (unknown)

Astronomers are warning people about the dangers of detached sunspots. These evil entities are fired
from the sun and can wreak havoc on the earth.

The Standing Dead (unknown)

A wagon was traveling through Texas when a sudden storm arose. Seven passengers traveled in a
wagon drawn by two mules. The storm was fierce and the wagon tossed as it traveled across the sands.
To avoid further danger, the drivers ran the carriage under a massive tree. Lightening struck the tree
and electrocuted all passengers and mules. The bodies were found as they were in life. The skeletons
sat upright as if the wagon still moved, and the mules stood upright, as if they still pulled the wagon. The
deaths were so sudden, no bodies moved from their position.

The Generator (unknown)

Authorities are examining a man who can generate electricity with his body. The electricity produced is
so powerful it renders snake venom, even from the deadliest snakes, harmless. He has released a
sworn statement that he's killed 17,000 snakes just this season.

The Iowa Flood (unknown)

A river broke out in Iowa while a farmer dug a well. He hit a vein of water that gushed forth and wore the
sides of the hole away. By the next morning, the hole was as big as a 50-gallon barrel. By that evening, it
was as large as a bank vault. Local people have been forced to move to higher ground.

Note: A boy in Iowa read the story and believed it to be true. He rode for miles to get a copy of his
paper, only to find there was no mention. He couldn't understand why no other newspapers in his area
would mention it.

Years later, this same boy had the opportunity to ask Mulhatton why he didn't write more on the river.
Mulhatton said he had other things on his mind to keep the story going.

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Cleveland's Bleeding Mausoleum - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

by admin • January 21, 2015

St. Luke's Church, photograph from the Tennessee State
Archives.

Folklore:

Nina Craig miles was a vivacious and precocious 7-year-
old in 1871 , as most children of her age and lifestyle
are. She went riding with her grandfather in the family
carriage on October 18. She loved to go as fast as
possible. Her grandfather got off the wagon to make an
adjustment and she grabbed the reigns. The horses
bolted at her command. They ran faster and faster, but
she lost control. They ended up flying across the train
tracks and the wagon collided with the train's engine.
Nina was killed instantly.

She was buried in a regular grave while her father built
an elaborate church and mausoleum for her. When it was completed, they exhumed her body and
placed it in the center of the newly erected structure. The beautiful white marble mausoleum didn't
remain pristine. Red stains the color of blood began to appear.

They tried replacing the marble, but the stains reappeared. Her father, John Craigmiles soon died from
blood poisoning. He was placed in the same structure and the stains darkened. Soon after that, her
mother, Adelia, was hit by an automobile. She was also placed in the crypt and the stains again
darkened. The mausoleum was bleeding.

Fact:

Colonel John Craigmiles is very real and so was the death of his daughter. Nina was his only child at the
time of her death. Col. Craigmiles used the portion of his wealth he'd set aside for her to construct both
her elaborate mausoleum as well as the beautiful St. Luke's Episcopalian Church, in Cleveland,
Tennessee. The couple is believed to have another child, stillborn, that was also placed in the
mausoleum.

The family deaths are likely simple coincidence. Col. Craigmiles died in 1899 from blood poisoning he
developed after a fall. Adelia, Nina's mother, was killed by a car in 1928. All of their deaths were unusual,
but occurred decades apart from one another.

The stains on the mausoleum are another story. They are still there and very noticeable.

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Could 9/11 Have Been God’s Retaliation For Abortion? Pastor
Believes So

inquisitr.com

Posted in: Politics Posted: April 1, 2015

The 9/1 1 terrorist attacks are
often used as proof that
America has fallen out of favor
with God, and megachurch
pastor Robert Jeffress went
back to that statement with a
recent sermon that you can find
excerpted on the Right Wing
Watch YouTube channel.

In the address, Jeffress doesn’t
pull any punches, connecting

the attacks in which Muslim terrorists flew two planes into the World Trade Centers, one into
the Pentagon, and hijacked a fourth that ultimately crashed after a passenger takeover, to
abortion.

“All you have to do is look in history to see what God does with a nation that sanctions the
killing of its own children,” Jeffress said. “I mean just look at the nation of Israel. Israel is the
only nation in the world in which it could truly be said were God's chosen people, and yet
because they got involved in the worship of Moloch, the pagan god, and sacrificed their
children on the altar, he raised up the godless Babylonians and the Syrians to bring judgment
on his own people.”

Jeffress then said that people ask him all the time about how God could let foreign invaders
kill 3,000 of our own people (referring to the 9/1 1 attacks).

“People ask me all the time, Well, I just don’t understand why God wouldn’t
protect our nation and he would allow these radical Muslims on 2001 to kill 3,000
of our citizens and why God doesn’t protect us. Surely, God doesn’t use pagans to
bring judgment upon his own people, does he?’ Just read the Bible. God will not
allow sin to go unpunished and he certainly won’t allow the sacrifice of children to
go unpunished.”

While Robert Jeffress’ comments are certainly controversial, they’re not altogether original, as
Opposing Views points out.

Before Jeffress embraced this view, the Rev. Jerry Falwell blamed a slew of groups for 9/1 1 ,
including gays, abortionists, feminists, the ACLU, and People for the American Way (owners
of Right Wing Watch).

Spirited Debate with Nick Fish and Dr. Robert Jeffress

RWW News: AL Gov. Bentley's Pastor Prays For Him To Defy Courts On Marriage Equality

While it's true that in the religious context of the Bible, Israelites were “punished” by God for
the very thing that Jeffress states, it’s up for debate among Christians whether or not that can
be read as a direct warning of our current times.

But what do you think, readers, and particularly those of you who are Pro-Life? Is Jeffress
right to draw parallels between ancient Israel and the modern state of the U.S.? Share your
thoughts on his 9/1 1 comments below.

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Council ban legislation creating ’bizarre' laws, campaigners say bbc.com

• 30 March 2015

• From the section UK

A law that allows councils in England and Wales to ban certain activities in public is leading to
"bizarre new criminal offences", campaigners say.

The Manifesto Club, which campaigns against over-regulation, says the Anti-Social
Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act is creating "a patchwork" of laws, with discrepancies from
town to town.

Councils have used it to ban activities such as begging or drinking in places.

Council leaders say the measures help to prevent anti-social behaviour.

Under the act - which became law last year - local authorities can use public spaces
protection orders (PSPOs) to ban certain activities they believe are having a "detrimental
impact" on the quality of life.

People who do not comply can be required to pay a £100 fixed penalty fine or face
prosecution.

Examples of PSPOs include:

• Restrictions placed on motorists entering a retail park in Colchester, Essex after 18:00
if they are not using shops and facilities

• Young people in Oxford being banned from entering a tower block unless they are a
visitor or resident

• Making it a crime to beg for money in certain areas of Poole, in Dorset

• A ban on the consumption of alcohol and legal highs in public spaces in the city
centre by Lincoln Council

• Making it a crime to have an open container of alcohol in Cambridge

The Manifesto Club said there were eight PSPOs in force in England and Wales. Another four
PSPOs are out for public consultation and 1 9 are under consideration across the country.

They include proposals to ban the use of amplified music, unlicensed busking, pigeon feeding
and the sale of lucky charms.

Josie Appleton, director of the campaign group, said the powers were "so broad" they allowed
councils to ban "pretty much anything".

"The result is a patchwork of criminal law where something is illegal in one town but not in the
next, or in one street but not the next.

This makes it hard for the public to know what is criminal and what is not.

However, councils have
defended the use of the
orders.

Colchester Borough Council
said its order to restrict
motorists entering a retail
park after 18:00 prevented
anti-social car meets and
nuisance motorists.

Oxford City Council, which
has prohibited some people
under 21 from entering a
tower block, said the "unacceptable behaviour of a few has caused a great deal of misery".

"It is important that we tackle this problem robustly," Councillor Dee Sinclair said.

Councillor Ric Metcalfe, leader of City of Lincoln Council, said the authority recognised there
was a problem with street drinking and the use of legal highs, saying: "We want our city
centre to be a safe and welcoming place for residents and visitors alike."

Poole Borough Council, which has banned begging in some areas, said it had not had any
reported breaches of the order.

In Cambridge, where open containers of alcohol are prohibited in some places, council leader
Lewis Herbert said the three community areas subjected to the orders had suffered "a decade
of being taken over by groups of drunks".

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PooleBoroughCouncilhasbannedbegginginsomeareas

Curiosity Rover Image Shows Religious Icon Of The Virgin
Mary On Planet Mars, Says Mars Anomaly Hunters

http://www.inouisitrcom/1962420/curiosity-rover-image-shiiws-reIigious-icon-of-the-VLrgin-marv-on-plant-mars-

savs-mars-anomalv-hunters/#utm_source=website&utm_campais:n=wpbirdnest&utm_medium=web

YouTube Mars archaeologists and anomaly hunters are a rare breed of researchers who conduct
archaeological exploration of Mars, poring over online images from NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers
Curiosity and Opportunity.

Compared with the paltry body of evidence with regard to the question of lowly microbial life on Mars
that NASA scientists have so far adduced, YouTube Mars archaeologists and anomaly hunters claim a
mindbogglingly vast array of material evidence of advanced ancient civilizations on Mars.

You may laugh off the evidence they are unearthing in truckloads on a daily basis, but rest assured that
they aren’t trying to be funny.

A group of anomaly hunters, Mars Moon Space Photo Zoom Club, made the jaw-dropping
announcement this week that they have spotted a rock relief icon of what looks like the Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, kneeling, holding a cross, or more likely a rosary, in a Mars Curiosity photo of rock

formations on the planet Mars.

The image, which purportedly shows a female form kneeling with a cross or rosary clasped in her
hands, is hauntingly reminiscent of the famous miraculous icon of \heTheo tokos, the “Megalochari” of
Tinos.

The similarity of the Mars icon to the miracle-working “Megalochari” is indeed striking.

“It portrays the Megalokhari in a room, kneeling with Her head bent in
prayer, in front of a small low stand, wearing a golden-yellow-green
dress. On the stand is an open book, on which are written the words
pronounced by the Virgin herself after the Annunciation by the Angel."

The theory that Mars hosted an ancient civilization that was wiped out in a nuclear holocaust was
popularized by U.S. physicist Dr. John Brandenburg, who obtained his Ph.D. from the University of
California, Davis.

In a paper published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics , titled “Evidence of
Massive Thermonuclear Explosions in Mars Past, The Cydonian Hypothesis,” and presented at the
20 14 Annual Fall Meeting of the American Physical Society Prairie Section in Monmouth, Illinois,
Brandenburg defended the thesis that an ancient Mars civilization was wiped out in a nuclear holocaust.

The interested reader may view the paper here. Part of the abstract of the paper is quotedbelow.

“Analysis of recent Mars isotopic, gamma ray, and imaging data supports
the hypothesis that perhaps two immense thermonuclear explosions
occurred on Mars in the distant past... Analysis rules out large unstable
‘natural nuclear reactors,' instead, data is consistent with mixed fusion-
fission explosions... Analysis of new images from Odyssey, MRO and
Mars Express orbiters now show strong evidence of eroded
archaeological objects at these sites.

“Taken together, the data requires that the hypothesis of Mars as the site
of an ancient planetary nuclear massacre must now be considered.
Fermi's Paradox, the unexpected silence of the stars, may be solved at
Mars."

Brandenburg’s abstract touches on a major line of argument by Mars anomaly hunters in response to

critics who argue that the alleged archaeological evidence is dubious. According to Mars anomaly
hunters, apart from the fact that the two Mars civilizations, the Cydonians and the Utopians, were
incinerated by two powerful nuclear blasts estimated as equivalent to about one million megaton
hydrogen bombs, the archaeological remains are millions of years old and thus have become so
severely eroded that they are not as easily identified as Earth archaeological remains that are only a few
thousand years old.

Mars anomaly hunters continue to uncover material “evidence” they claim with straight faces are
ancient civilization artifacts and archaeological remains that prove ancient cultures and civilizations
once flourished on the now desolate planet.

Eagle-eyed anomaly hunters scrutinizing the Martian terrain through images from NASA’s intrepid
rovers Curiosity and Opportunity have discovered coffins, ancient cat statues, an Ankh cross,
dinosaur fossils with teeth, a thick sagely tome, firearms and canons, battlefields strewn with crushed,
broken body armor, and burned out tanks with turrets sticking out.

The “ev idence” continues piling up while NASA officials putter around trying to infer past presence of
microbial life on Mars from abstract evidence, such as presence of nitrogen in the soil of the Red
Planet.

[Images: via Mars Moon space Photo Zoom Club; Full of Grace and Truth Blogspot]

Dancing, loud music banned in Germany over Easter upi.com

By Amy R. Connolly | April 4, 2015 at 12:23 PM

BERLIN, April 4 (UPI) -- A centuries-old German ban on dancing and loud music continues
Saturday throughout the country during the four-day Easter weekend.

From Thursday through Sunday, it is illegal to dance in public in 13 of the 16 states in
Germany from the days between Thursday, known in the Christian religion as Maundy
Thursday, through Sunday, Easter Day. In some states, the ban extends to the Monday after
Easter.

The holiday laws, known as Tanzverbot, have varying degrees of restrictions and
enforcement in each state. Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria anti-dancing laws are known to
be the most restrictive with dancing completely outlawed during the entire weekend. In Berlin,
the country's party capital, dancing is illegal on Good Friday from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The dancing ban dates back to the Middle Ages. Today, many are calling for the restrictions
to be severely cut back as the country becomes more secular.

Peter James, chairman of the Stuttgart-based Club Kollektiv, which represents the interests
of nightclubs and event organisers in the region, was happy some are rethinking the rules.

"The ban does represent a big constraint," he told the Guardian. "But apart from that, just on
a personal level, I don't want to be told how I organise my days. We live in a multicultural
society, and this is clearly a state imposition, and anyway lifting the dance ban doesn't mean
introducing a dance enforcement."

07/04

thelocal.de

Dear Mum: please enjoy
this dead crocodile

Published: 07 Apr 2015
16:13 GMT+02:00

Customs officers at
Diisseldorf airport found
a stuffed Nile crocodile
in a suitcase on

Tuesday, after stopping a man passing through the 'nothing to declare' section.

The crocodile's head is stuffed while the skin of the rest of its body is still attached.

The 44-year-old was stopped after taking a flight via St Petersburg from Mauritius, where he
had bought the crocodile for $25 US as a gift for his mother.

Nile crocodiles are threatened with extinction and therefore stand on a list of protected
species.

The man now faces a court process for attempting to smuggle illegal goods into the country.

The crocodile has been seized and will not be returned to him after the court case's
conclusion.

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border-radius: 4px ! important ;} .en-markup-crop-options div div:first-of-type { margin-left: Opx Umportant ;}

Dear Mum: please enjoy this dead crocodile

Dick Turpin's Famous Ride from London to York in 1735

Dick Turpin is probably the most legendary highwayman of all time , and his
rapid flight from London to York is the most famous part of this legend.
Mention the name of Turpin to most people, and they will tell you he was a
daring and dashing rogue who famously rode this trip of two hundred miles on
his faithful mare , Black Bess , in less than fifteen hours. In so doing, Turpin
actually got to York before news of his misdemeanours in London. Tests on
horses that specialise in endurance events have shown that this would not have
been possible.

Various inns that still stand along the original route oftheAl (at the time
called the Great North Road, the main road connecting the north of England to
the south), such as the Roebuck Inn, Stevenage, claim that Turpin ate his lunch
there that night , or stopped off there for a brief respite for his horse. If he had
really stopped at every inn that makes such claims then he wouldn't have had
time to ride anywhere. (From Wikipedia . ) Yet the legend persists, as the
following stories show.

Dick Turpin and Osbaldestone - the New York Times, 15 January 1893

Foremost among English feats of horsemanship we have one which for
generations has been represented in the circus ring. Dick Turpin's famous ride
from London York has taken its place among nursery legends; nevertheless, it
was actually performed, and stands as a record of its kind. The highwayman,
riding with the very best reason in the world - the safety of his neck - covered the
distance of 200 miles in a little under twelve hours. This performance stands
alone as the longest and fastest journey ever made on the same horse. Most of
the long rides of which record exists have been made for wagers; such records
are therefore reliable.

Squire Osbaldestone's undertaking to ride 200 miles in ten hours, which he
accomplished so successfully on the 5th of November, 1831, is one of the most
remarkable feats of endurance in the saddle, and has the merit of freedom from
cruelty. The Squire rode his race on the Newmarket race course, changing his
horse every fourth mile. Four miles is a safe limit for such a purpose, as that
splendid horseman knew. Three-mile laps could have been covered in time
relatively a little better, but a sound horse in fair training could do his four miles
without distress in such time as to make that distance, with the consequent
reduction in the number of changes, the most suitable for the purpose. Mr.
Osbaldestone used sixteen horses for his task, and rode standing in his stirrups
like a jockey, while he kept his mount at best speed from start to finish of its
four-mile heat, having quite a "set-to" with his pacemaker at the end of each.

The Squire was a hard man, and in good training, so suffered no bad effects from
his exertions.

The New York Times, 18 September 1910

A reader writes, "A Western friend of mine tells me that cowboys have been
known to ride as far as 300 miles on a single horse in twenty-four hours. Now, it
strikes me that that would be "some runnin'." Even Dick Turpin didn't come up
to this mark. Have we any records to substantiate the claims of my Western
friend?"

The Times is not in possession of any records to prove the greatest distance
covered by a horseman on the same horse in twenty-four hours, but from time to
time reports have come from the wide West telling of fabulous rides made by
cowboys. How much truth may be in them cannot be said. One cowboy is said
to have covered a distance of 200 miles on a pinto in twenty-four hours, but we
have no proof that this is true, and the fact remains that it would seem to be
rather beyond the endurance of even a "Black Bess" such as the notorious Turpin
bestrode.

Turpin, we are told, rode his famous mare to York, 150 miles, in a single day,
and it is a source of no little satisfaction to know that the notorious English
criminal was properly hanged for his deeds. He should have been hanged for the
ride on "Black Bess," if for no other reason. The ride is not mentioned in the
Newgate [prison] records, and the story in its original form is attributed to
Maginn, although it is graphically described in Ainsworth's "Rookwood. "

news.com.au

Dracula’s ‘hometown’ is hauntingly beautiful

April 06, 2015

Dracula’s ‘hometown’ is hauntingly beautiful

• 1 day ago

Welcome to a totally creepy
place. Picture: James
Whitesmith Source: Flickr

DID you know that one of
the most hauntingly
beautiful and eerie places
in the world lies in
England?

On the north-eastern coast of
Yorkshire in a tiny town called
Whitby. Long a holiday spot, it
has also historically given inspiration to writers like Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens, and Bram
Stoker — who based one of the most famous scenes from Dracula in the town.

It’s creepy and romantic all at once. This is Whitby.

In the book, Dracula (the name itself taken from a name Stoker found in the Whitby public
library) arrives in England on the ship Demeter, which crashes into the port. The captain is
strapped to the wheel and no one else is alive.

The cargo: coffins full of dirt (from Transylvania). After the crash, a large black dog is seen
bounding from the ship and running up the cliff stairs to the ruins of Whitby Abbey — which is
as creepy in real life as it is in the book [Editor’s note: Who the heck walks around a
graveyard at night — it’s like asking to be bitten],

Dracula’s home. Picture: James Whitesmith
Source: Flickr

There’s been an Abbey on this cliff since 664,
when it was established by the Celts, and it
operated until 1583 when Henry the VIII
closed all Roman Catholic places of worship.
Alongside the old Roman Catholic ruins is a
new(er) protestant abbey — complete with an
ancient graveyard and mists that roll in a few
times a day, adding to the creep factor.

Graves everywhere. Source: Getty Images

The town has embraced the famous literature
it has inspired. Twice a year there’s a huge
annual goth test called the Whitby Gothic
Weekend, during which thousands of people
arrive in their best corsets, fangs, and dark
eyeliner to troll the streets.

Homes perched on the edge of a cliff.

Source: Getty Images

But the real attraction is Whitby Abbey itself,
which looms large over the town. Inside the
attached museum you will find historical
artefacts, stories, and remnants of the town’s
past — before strolling through the Abbey
ruins.

Whitby Abbey and St. Hilda's church floodlit
at dusk. Source: Getty Images

No trip to Whitby Abbey is complete without
at stop at the most stellar gift shop I’ve
encountered in years. In it you can buy
anything from a full chain mail suit of armour,
helmets, balls and chains (real ones), swords,
all sort of books on Dracula and ... blood
cordial!

It’s sickly sweet and mildly alcoholic
(reminding one of, say, Manishewitz), but if
you're in the mood to go full Dracula, it’s the
way to go.

A stone lighthouse on
the east pier at
Whitby. Source: Getty
Images

Bonus: There’s a
Fisherman’s Wife in
Whitby — so if you
can’t make it to Leeds
for the best fish and
chips ever, don’t
worry! And double
bonus: The restaurant

is located on a cliff overlooking the ocean, the port and the Abbey.

There is beauty amid the creepiness. Picture:
Rick Harris Source: Flickr

Thank you to Visit Britain.

This ailicle originally appeared on Yahoo
Travel and was republished via the NY Post.

Story by

• NY Post

Dublin sink hole mystery: Tunnel to a 19th century brothel
causes traffic chaos in city centre - independent.ie

Published 02/04/201 5 \ 07:38 independent.ie

Friday 3 April 2015

Dublin sink hole mystery: Tunnel to a 19th century brothel causes traffic chaos in city
centre

General view of ground hole. Dame Street, Dublin

A nineteenth century brothel is
suspected to have caused traffic chaos
in Dublin after a hole opened in the
middle of a city street.

Dublin's Dame Street was brought to a
halt on Tuesday when a two-foot section
of the road collapsed.

A six-feet-deep hole appeared at the
George's Street junction, around 100
metres from the Olympia Theatre, and
was cordoned off from traffic and
pedestrians by council workers.

Read more here: VIDEO: Sinkhole on Dublin's Dame Street

Last night, historian Gerry Cooley told the Herald that an old cellar discovered in the hole
could be part of a "long-rumoured tunnel" used by 19th century politicians to go to brothels

"The King of England closed down the House of Commons and House of Lords in Ireland
during the time when politicians were spending too much time in the brothels," Mr Cooley
said.

"They built the tunnels from
what is now the Bank of
Ireland on College Green. If
you dig deep enough
anywhere around that area
you are likely to find
medieval artefacts or a part
of the old 1 7th-to-1 9th
century Ireland.

"It could be the remnants of
| the residence of Chichester,
or the tunnels which

politicians would use to sneak out to the pubs or gentleman's clubs," Mr Cooley said.

The Irish Houses of Parliament or Irish Parliament House was in the building that is now Bank
of Ireland in College Green for most of the 1700s. It served as a seat of both chambers - the
Lords and Commons - of the Irish Parliament of the Kingdom of Ireland until it was abolished
under the Act of Union in 1800.

In the 1600s, the Irish Parliament was based in Chichester House, which was a town house
in Hoggen Green, which is now College Green.

Read more here: Six-foot-deep sink hole appears in city street

Dublin City Council confirmed that the hole contained "an old cellar" and was being filled in
with concrete.

Dame Street is expected to be fully reopened today.
hnews@herald.ie

Independent. ie ^

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Easter 'Blood Moon' to turn sky red this weekend - but was it
predicted in the Bible?

mirror.co.uk

. 22:11, 31 March 2015
• By Richard Wheatstone

Experts predict the rare phenomenon will be visible in the skies between Friday and
Sunday and one US pastor believes it could be a sign of Christ's return

Prediction: Some Christians believe the
Blood Moon was foretold in the Bible

The moon is set to turn blood red this
weekend in an event some pastors are
claiming was predicted by the Bible as
a sign of Christ's return.

The 'Blood Moon' is a rare celestial
event which will see the skies over
North America, Asia and Australia be
transformed into a deep, red colour.

Getty It is set to be the third of four 'Blood

Moon' events since 2014 which experts believe will be completed by the end of the year.

The lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes directly behind the earth into its shadow but
the rare 'Tetrad' of four alignments in close proximity is said by NASA to have happened just
a handful of times in the last 2,000 years.

Getty

Stunning: The moon will disappear
behind the earth to make a lunar
eclipse

One US Pastor has said the
phenomenon shows a 'great worldwide
event' is set to take place and was
predicted in the Bible.

The King James Bible says: "The sun
shall be turned into darkness, and the
moon into blood, before the great and
the terrible day of the LORD comes."

And pastor John Hagee claims the Blood Moon falling on an Easter weekend is a sign
'something dramatic will happen which will change the whole world’.

He said: ""I believe we're going to see something dramatic happen in the Middle East

involving Israel that will change the course of history in the Middle East and impact the whole
world.

Red night: A picture of a lunar eclipse
in Uruguay in April last year

What is so remarkable about this blood
moon is that it specifically fulfills
prophecies set out in the Bible.

"Joel Chapter Two also says the 'Day
of the Lord will be as when the sun
refuses to shine'.

"Even Jesus himself, in the Book of
Luke, states there 'will be signs in the
sun, moon and stars’ and to 'lift up your

heads for redemption draws nigh'.

"There's a sequence of prophetic events that the Bible says will happen. It does not, ever,
give a timeline.

"It just says 'when you see these signs' - and four blood moons is a very significant one - 'the
end of this age is coming."

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Elizabeth Proctor: The Salem Witch Trials Widow historyofmassachusetts.org

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

Elizabeth Proctor, wife of Salem Village farmer John Proctor, was accused of witchcraft
during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.

The Proctors were a wealthy family who lived on a large rented farm on the outskirts of Salem
Village, in what is now modern day Peabody. Elizabeth, Proctor's third wife, married Proctor
in April of 1674, two years after the death of his second wife, Elizabeth Thorndike.

Elizabeth Proctor, whose maiden name was Bassett, was also the granddaughter of Goody
Burt, a folk healer from Lynn who had been tried, but acquitted, on charges of witchcraft over
30 years earlier.

In the spring of 1692, after some of the afflicted girls began having fits and claimed that
invisible forces were tormenting them, the Proctor’s servant, Mary Warren, began showing
the same symptoms. John Proctor, who believed the afflicted girls were just pretending to be
afflicted, accused Warren of faking her symptoms and threatened to beat her if she
continued.

Warren's fits quickly stopped but as soon as John Proctor left on business a few days later,
her symptoms returned and she joined the ongoing witch trials as a witness.

In late March, two of the afflicted girls, Mercy Lewis
and Abigail Williams, claimed Elizabeth Proctor visited
them at night in spirit form and tormented them. On
April 4th, John Walcott and Nathaniel Ingersoll filed an
official complaint against Elizabeth Proctor, on behalf
of Abigail Williams, John Indian, Mary Walcott, Ann
Putnam and Mercy Lewis, and a warrant was issued
for her arrest. After she was apprehended, Elizabeth
Proctor was brought to the Salem Village
meetinghouse on April 11th and examined by Judge
Thomas Danforth, according to court records:

Finl Church In S*l*nn VrIUg*.

”° M ** ou, q Elizabeth Proctor! you understand whereof

The meetinghouse of the first church in Salem . , . , , ... , ,

Village, illustration published in the New England YOU die charged, VIZ. to be guilty of Sundiy acts

Magazine, volume 5, in 1892 of witchcraft; what say you to it? Speak the truth,

and so you that are afflicted, you must speak the

truth, as you will answer it before God another day. Mary Walcott! doth this

woman hurt you?

A. I never saw her so as to be hurt by her.

Q. Mary Lewis! does she hurt you? — Her mouth was stopped.

Q. Ann Putnam, does she hurt you? — She could not speak.

Q. Abigail Williams! does she huii you? — Her hand was thrust in her own mouth.

Q. John! does she hurt you?

A. This is the woman that came in her shift and choked me.

Q. did she ever bring the book?

A. Yes, Sir.

Q. What to do?

A. to write.

Q. What, this woman?

A. Yes, Sir.

Q. Are you sure of it?

A. Yes, Sir. — Again, Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam were spoke to by the
court, but neither of them could make any answer, by reason of dumbness or
other fits.

Q. What do you say Goody Proctor to these things?

A. I take God in heaven to be my witness, that I know nothing of it, no more than
the child unborn.

As the examination continued, Elizabeth Proctor’s accusers began to shift their attention to
Elizabeth’s servant, Mary Warren, and her husband, John Proctor:

Q. Abigail Williams! does this woman hurt you?

A. Yes, Sir, often.

Q. Does she bring the book to you?

A. Yes.

Q. What would she have you do with it?

A. To write in it and I shall be well. — Did not you, said Abigail, tell me, that your
maid had written?

A. (Proctor) Dear Child, it is not so. There is another judgement, dear child.

Then Abigail and Ann had fits. By and by they cried out, look you there is Goody
Proctor upon the beam. By and by, both of them cried out of Goodman Proctor
himself, and said he was a wizard. Immediately, many, if not alt of the bewitched,
had grievous fits.

Q. Ann Putnam! who hurt you?

A. Goodman Proctor and his wife too. — Aftemards some of the afflicted cried,
there is Proctor going to take up Mrs. Pope's feet. — And her feet were
immediately taken up.

Q. What do you say Goodman Proctor to these things?

A. I know not, I am innocent.

Abigail Williams cried out, there is Goodman Proctor going to Mrs. Pope , and
immediately, said Pope fell into a fit. — You see the devil will deceive you; the
children could see what you was going to do before the woman was hurt. I would
advise you to repentance, for the devil is bringing you out. Abigail Williams cried
out again, there is Goodman Proctor going to hurt Goody Bibber; and immediately
Goody Bibber fell into a fit. There was the like of Mary Walcott , and divers others.
Benjamin Gould gave in his testimony, that he had seen Goodman Corey and his
wife, Proctor and his wife, Goody Cloyce, Goody Nurse, and Goody Griggs in his
chamber last Thursday night. Elizabeth Hubbard was in a trance during the whole

examination. During the examination of Elizabeth Proctor, Abigail Williams and
Ann Putnam, both made offer to strike at said Proctor; but when Abigail’s hand
came near, it opened, whereas it was made up into a fist before, and came done
exceeding lightly, as it drew near to said Proctor, and at length with open and
extended fingers, touched Proctor’s hood very lightly. Immediately Abigail cried
out, her fingers, her fingers, burned, and Ann Putnam took on most greviously, of
her head, and sunk down.

It is not known exactly why the afflicted girls targeted Elizabeth Proctor, but in the 1953 play,
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, Abigail Williams is depicted as having an affair with John
Proctor and becomes jealous of Elizabeth Proctor, prompting her to accuse Elizabeth of
witchcraft. The age difference between Abigail, 1 1 , and John, 60, makes this unlikely and
there’s no proof that Abigail Williams even knew Elizabeth or John Proctor before the witch
hysteria. Yet, Miller wrote in an essay in the New Yorker in 1 996 that it was a moment during
Elizabeth Proctor’s examination, when Abigail raises her hand to strike Elizabeth, that
convinced him that John and Abigail had an affair:

“In this remarkably observed gesture of a troubled young girl, I believed, a play
became possible. Elizabeth Proctor had been the orphaned Abigail’s mistress,
and they had lived together in the same small house until Elizabeth fired the girl.

By this time, I was sure, John Proctor had bedded Abigail, who had to be
dismissed most likely to appease Elizabeth. There was bad blood between the
two women now. That Abigail started, in effect, to condemn Elizabeth to death
with her touch, then stopped her hand, then went through with it, was quite
suddenly the human center of all this turmoil.”

Not only were John Proctor and Mary Warren accused, the following month, three of the
Proctor’s children, William, Benjamin and Sarah were also accused and arrested, as was
Elizabeth Proctor’s sister, Mary Bassett DeRich, and her sister-in-law Sarah Bassett. Sarah
Proctor and Sarah Bassett were both accused on May 21st by John and Thomas Putnam, on
behalf of Abigail Williams, Mary Walcott, Mercy Lewis and Ann Putnam, and arrested shortly
after. Benjamin Proctor was accused a few days later on May 23rd, by Nathaniel Ingersoll
and Thomas Rayment, on behalf of Mary Warren, Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Hubbard,
and arrested by Marshal Deputy John Putnam. William Proctor was accused on May 28th by
Mary Walcott and Susannah Sheldon and arrested by constable John Putnam.

Although Mary Warren wasn't one of Elizabeth’s original accusers, she testified against both
Elizabeth and John Proctor during their trials, claiming that their spirits beat, pinched and
choked her at night, according to court records:

“The Deposition of Mary Warren aged about 20 years do testefieth and saith I
have often seen the apparition of Elizabeth Procter the wife of John proctor
among the witches and she hath often toiiured me most greviously by biting me
and choking me and pinching me and pressing my stomach tell the blood came
out of my mouth and also upon the day of her examination I saw hertoiiure Mary
Walcott, Mercy Lewis, Ann Putnam, Elizabeth Hubbard, Abigail Williams and she

hath ever since at times tortured me most greviously Mary Warren owned this
here testimony to be the truth before the Jurors of Inquest this 30 of June 1692.”

After their arrests, many of the Proctor’s friends banded together and signed a petition
declaring them innocent and asked for their release:

“We whose names are under written having several years known John Proctor

and his wife do testify that we never heard or understood that they were ever

suspected to be guilty of the crime now charged upon them and several of us

being their near neighbours do testify that to our apprehension they lived Christian

life in their family and were ever ready to help such as stood in need of their help

Nathaniel Felton sen: and mary his wife

Samuel Marsh and Prescilla his wife

James Houlton and Ruth his wife

John Felton

Nathaniel Felton jun

Samuel I Frayll and an his wife

Zachriah Marsh and maiy his wife

Samuel Endecott and hanah his wife

Samuell Stone

George Locker

Samuel Gaskil & provided his wife
George Smith
Ed Edward: Gaskile”

Neither the petition, nor the letter John Proctor sent to the Boston clergy in July pleading that
the trials be moved to Boston, helped their situation. On August 5th, both Elizabeth and John
Proctor were found guilty and sentenced to death. Since Elizabeth was pregnant at the time
of her conviction, her execution was postponed until after she gave birth. John Proctor
pleaded for more time as well, claiming he was too ill for the execution, but was hanged on
August 19th.

On January 27, 1693, Elizabeth Proctor gave birth to a boy and named him John Proctor III,
after his father. Although she had given birth, Elizabeth was not immediately executed, for
reasons unknown.

In May of that same year, after the witch hysteria had died down and most of the prisoners
had been released due to a lack of evidence, Governor Phipps released the remaining
prisoners, which included Elizabeth Proctor.

Although she was free from jail, as a convicted witch Elizabeth was still guilty in the eyes of
the law and therefore had no legal rights. To make matters worse, John Proctor’s will made
no mention of Elizabeth, most likely because he expected she would be executed along with
him. As a result, she was penniless, according to the book “The Salem Witch Trials: A Day By
Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege":

Elizabeth Proctor, condemned but freed with her newborn (if he survived), found

her late husband’s farm picked clean. John Proctor’s will made no mention of his
widow, so Elizabeth had not a penny from it, neither her widow’s third nor the
dowry that she had brought to the marriage. When she protested, her stepchildren
ignored even her prenuptial contract and replied that she could not inherit, for,
being condemned to hang, she was dead in the law. ”

Even if Elizabeth were able to inherit John’s estate, there wasn’t much left of it since most of
it had been confiscated while John and Elizabeth were in prison, according to Robert Calef in
his book “More Wonders of the Invisible World”:

“John Procter and his wife being in prison, the sheriff came to his house and
seized all the goods, provisions, and cattle that he could come at, and sold some
of the cattle at half price, and killed others, and put them up for the West-Indies;
threw out the beer out of a barrel, and carried away the barrel; emptied a pot of
broth, and took away the pot, and left nothing in the house for the support of the
children: No part of the said goods are known to be returned.”

Elizabeth’s luck finally began to improve in March of 1694-5, when court records indicate that
the will of John Proctor was admitted to probate in the Probate Court of Essex County under
the complaint of Thomas and Elizabeth Very (John Proctor’s eldest daughter from his
marriage to Elizabeth Thorndike). On April 15, 1695, the committee reported a division of the
estate according to the will. There is no record confirming it, but it can only be assumed by
this event that John Proctor’s legal rights, which had been stripped when he was convicted,
had at some point been restored and therefore his family finally had access to what was left
of his estate.

It was shortly after this event, in May of 1696, when Elizabeth Proctor petitioned the General
Court to restore her own legal rights. In doing so, she asked for the rights to her husband’s
estate or at the very least, the dowry she brought to the marriage:

“To the Honourable General Court Assembled at Boston May twenty
seventh 1696

the Humble petition of Elizabeth Proctor widow and relict of John Proctor of Salem
deceased humbly sheweth that in the year of our Lord 1692 when many persons
in Salem and in other towns there about were accused by some evil disposed or
strangely influenced persons as being witches or for being guilty of acting witch-
craft my sd husband John Pmctor and myself were accused as such and we both:
my sd husband and myself were so far proceeded against that we were
condemned but in that sad time of darkness before my said husband was
executed it is evident somebody had contrived a will and brought it to him to sign
where in his whole estate is disposed of not having regard to a contract in writing
made with me before marriage with him; but so it pleased god to order by his
providence that although the sentence was executed on my dear husband yet
through gods great goodness to your petitioner I am yet alive; since my husbands
death the said will is proved and approved by the Judge of probate and by that
kind of disposal the whole estate is disposed of; and although god hath Granted

my life yet those that claim my said husbands estate by that which they call a will
will not suffer me to have one penny of the estate neither upon the account of my
husbands contract with me before marriage nor yet upon the account of the dowry
which as I humbly conceive doth belong or ought to belong to me by the law for
they say that I am dead in the law and therefore my humble request and petition
to this honoured General Court is that by an act of this honoured court as god
hath content renewed my life and through gods goodness without fear of being put
to death upon that sentence you would be pleased to put me into a capacity to
make use of the law to recover that which of right by law I ought to have for my
necessary suple and support that as I your petitioner am one of his majesties
subjects I may have the benefit of his laws so humbly praying that god would
direct your honours in all things to do that which may be most pleasing to him I
subscribe

your honours humble petitioner

Elizabeth Proctor
widow

Read. 10 th June. 1 696. in Council”

According to the court records, on April 19, 1697, the court restored Elizabeth's legal rights
and returned her dowry to her.

Not much is known about Elizabeth Proctor after this time period except that on September
22, 1699, Elizabeth married her second husband, Daniel Richards, in Lynn, Massachusetts.

In 1711, the Massachusetts legislature passed a bill restoring some of the names of the
accused and awarded the Proctor family £150 in restitution for their imprisonments and John
Proctor’s death.

There are no death records for Elizabeth, nor records of her youngest children, in Lynn,
indicating that the family may have moved to another town. Her death date and location of
her grave are unknown.

Sources:

“More Wonders of the Invisible World”, Robert Calef, 1700

“Salem Story: Reading the Witch Trials of 1692"; Bernard Rosenthal; 1993

“History of Salem, Massachusetts”; Sidney Perley; 1924

“The Salem Witch Trials: A Reference Guide”; K. David Goss; 2007

“The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-day Chronicle Of A Community Under Siege”; Marilynne
K. Roach; 2004

Why I Wrote the Crucible; Arthur Miller; The New Yorker Magazine; October 21 1996
“December Meeting, 1884. ‘Instructions’ of Malden, 1776; The Rev. Peter Thacher, D.D.;
Manuscripts Relating to Witchcraft; Letter from Governor Phips; Petition of Elizabeth Proctor;
Petition of the Parkers; Answers concerning Witchcraft; Questions concerning Witchcraft;
Answers concerning Witchcraft; Trumbull Papers” is an article from Proceedings of the
Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 1: http://archive.org/stream/jstor-

25079627/25079627 djvu.txt

University of Virginia; Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project;
Case File for Elizabeth Proctor: http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/texts/tei/BoySal2R7div id=n1 06

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Filipino Catholics have hands and feet nailed to
crosses in bloody Good Friday crucifixion rites

rawstory.com

Agence France-Presse
03 Apr 2015 at 12:37 ET

Devotees in the fervently
Catholic Philippines
marked Good Friday by
being nailed to crosses
and whipping their backs
bloody, in extreme acts of
devotion that attracted

thousands of spectators.

The annual ritual in scorching hot farmlands just outside of Manila is one of many
colourful outpourings of faith in the Southeast Asian nation, where 80 percent of its
100 million people are Catholics.

“I feel no pain because I know I am one with my God in suffering,” 30-year-old
construction worker Arjay Rivera told AFP before he slit his back with broken
bottles and razors, later whipping himself with bamboo flails to keep the wounds
open.

As the flagellants made an excruciatingly slow barefoot march to the hill in San
Juan, a rural district of San Fernando north of Manila where the crucifixions were to
take place, some of them stopped at times to lay face down on the hot pavement
and let children flog them with twigs.

Five men had nails hammered through their palms and feet while four others, some
with fake beards drawn on their faces to resemble Christ, were tied to the crosses.

They wailed in pain as attendants, costumed as Roman centurions, pounded the
nails through their palms.

“My faith got me through my illness. I will continue doing this for as long as I live,”
one of the men, Wilfredo Salvador told AFP after he was taken down from a cross,
his hands and feet wrapped in bandages.

Filipino Catholics have hands and feet nailed to crosses in
bloody Good Friday cmcifixion rites

- Vow to God -

“It was painful up there, but I felt light. I can’t explain it. I would say my faith is very
strong,” added the 50-year-old, who said he had recovered from a nervous
breakdown several years ago.

Several of the men have undergone multiple crucifixions over the years.

Seven-month pregnant Catherine Madoles wiped off blood that had splattered on
her legs and half-exposed tummy.

Her brother, Genesis Reyes, was one of those whipping his back, undergoing the
ordeal for the first time on Friday so that she could have a safe delivery, she said.

“I have a high-risk pregnancy because I’m diabetic. I hope this devotion will help
me,” the 32-year-old housewife told AFP as she took refuge from the searing heat.

San Fernando Archbishop Florentino Lavarias has discouraged the bloody
practice, saying there are other ways to profess one’s faith.

“Our acts should be geared toward good works. Christian life is not something that
is done overnight,” he counselled.

San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago openly conceded that the religious ritual has
vast economic benefits for the community.

“We don’t have the exact record of the money... but for sure the Good Friday
activities help our locals in their businesses,” he said.

This year’s spectacle attracted a crowd of 60,000, roughly the same number last
year, San Fernando Councillor Harvey Quiwa told AFP.

- “I wouldn’t take a selfie here” -

While organisers tried to keep the event solemn, the general mood appeared more
festive with dozens of hawker stalls selling food and souvenirs, giant streamers of
mobile phone companies set up in various places and crowds taking photos with
their smartphone and tablet cameras.

Above the crucifixion hill, a huge brown kite in the shape of a cross flew overhead.

Foreign tourists who flocked to the spectacle reacted with both shock and
fascination even as blood from the flagellants splattered their clothing.

“It’s quite gross and bloody. I would never have a selfie taken here,” Jorene Chai, a
26-year-old tourist from Singapore, told AFP.

She and three other friends made a side trip to the site from a food tour of
Pampanga province.

Waldemar Traczyk, 50, a history professor from Poland, said he saved up for
seven years so he and his wife could fly to the Philippines to witness Friday’s
events.

“This is too much blood... but it is interesting to know why a 17th century practice
in Europe still persists in the Philippines,” he told AFP.

The Philippines is known around the world for its fervent brand of Catholicism,
which was introduced by Spanish colonisers in the 1500s.

An annual procession of Christ’s image in downtown Manila drew 5.5 million
barefoot devotees last January, authorities said.

A mass by Pope Francis in the capital’s main outdoor park a week later drew a
record crowd of six million people.

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Other missing persons cases

stuff, co. nz

Five extraordinary solved missing persons cases

Last updated 11:24, April 8 2015

HO Jaycee Lee Dugard is seen in this undated handout file photo.

Missing Nelson man John Daniel
"Danny" T oh ill, who was last
heard from in 2005, has finally
contacted his family.

Here are five more
disappearances which had
extraordinary endings.

Jaycee Lee Dugard

The 11-year-old was abducted in
1991 as she walked to a school
bus stop in California.

She was held prisoner by
convicted sex offender Phillip
Craig Garrido and his wife Nancy
Garrido for 18 years, and gave
birth to two daughters while in
captivity.

She was discovered in 2009 after
Phillip Garrido attracted suspicion
while visiting the University of
California, Berkeley.

He was sentenced to 431 years
in prison, and his wife received
36 years to life.

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus
and Michelle Knight

The three young women were kidnapped by Ariel Castro from a neighbourhood Cleveland, Ohio
between 2002 and 2004.

They were kept locked in his home until May 2013, when Berry managed to escape with the help of
neighbours.

The other two women were rescued by police shortly after. Castro committed suicide in prison one
month into his life sentence.

Gabriel Nagy

The Australian man never came home for lunch in January 1987, and his burnt-out car was discovered
on the side of a road.

He was presumed dead, but 23 years later a detective discovered a Medicare record under his name. It

HANDOUT A combination photo shows (L-R) Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle
Knight expressing gratitude to people from Cleveland.

turned out Nagy was alive, but
had suffered from a form of
amnesia and had no memory of
his former life. He later regained
his memory.

Pauline Parker and Juliet
Hulme

In 1954 the Christchurch
schoolgirls shot to notoriety for
their brutal murder of Parker's
mother.

After spending five years in
prison, the girls disappeared from
the public eye for decades. In
1994, Peter Jackson's film based
on the murder, Heavenly
Creatures , was released. It was
then revealed that Hulme was
living in Scotland under the name
Anne Perry, and had become a
bestselling crime novelist.

Parker was tracked down in
1997, running a horse riding
school in England and living
under the name Hilary Nathan.

Raudhatul Jannah and Arif
Pratama Rangkuti

Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme are behind bars during their trial for the murder of Pautine?s

The siblings were aged four and

seven when they were swept from their West Aceh home in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, given up for
dead.

Ten years later, Jannah was spotted by a relative in a village in Aceh, and reunited with her parents. Just
days later, the family said their son Arif had also been found thanks to the media coverage of the
reunion.

He had been living as a street orphan in Sumatra.

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Lion cub taken to football game by proud fans

mirror.co.uk

• 11:56, 4 April 2015

• By Sam Webb

The fans, far from being scared, were reportedly delighted by the presence of the
predator, while younger fans played with him after the match

Team pride: A lion cub was seen in the
stands at a game in Palestine

Palestinian football fans showed pride
in their team by taking a LION CUB to
watch the game in a crowded stadium.

Alex was seen in the stands for a
crunch match between Shabab Rafah
and rivals El-Sadaka in the Palestinian
league, clad in his team’s jersey.

Fans, far from being scared, were

Mahmoud zaqout reportedly delighted by the presence of

the predator, while younger fans played with him after the match.

The lion was born in a zoo in Rafah but the owner was forced to sell the cubs in order to keep
feeding other animals.

Adorable: This Palestinian fan took a
young lion to a footie match

Two other adorable two-month-old lion
cubs from the same zoo, Mona and
Alex, have been living with refugee
Saad Aldeen Al-Jamal and his six
children at their home in Rafah, in
southern Gaza.

The 54-year-old father says he bought
the cubs from the impoverished Rafah
zoo and the unusual pets have become
an integral part of his family.

Al-Jamal said: 'They're living inside the house just like the children. They eat and drink inside
the room and they have a bed that they both sleep on. They also play football."

The cubs were born in Rafah zoo and sold when they were just two-weeks-old.

The majority of inhabitants of the conflict-hit city are refugees and poverty doesn't just affect
humans but also its animals.

The Al-Jamal family might face a
similarly tough situation in the near
future as the cubs already consume half a kilo of meat every day.

Fun: Children played with the animal
after the game

Rafah zoo owner, Mohammad Juma,
said: "Because of the amount of
animals, the bad economical situation,
lack of leisure activities and that you
don't have enough food or money... this
(situation) would make you sell
anything you have to save the rest of
the animals."

The family might be able to make the situation work for now, but once fully grown, lions can
weigh more than 400 pounds, or nearly 200 kilograms.

Al-Jamal said that he knew the cubs
would eventually become dangerous.

“In one month, they will start being kept
in a cage for our own safety,” he said.

% Most of the zoo animals in Gaza have
been hauled into the isolated territory
through smuggling tunnels linking the
I territory to Egypt.

In 2013, a pair of newborn lion cubs
died shortly after they were proudly

ai-Jamai pet two lion cubs unveiled by Gaza’s Hamas rulers.
outside their family house in the Rafah refugee camp in the southern

Gaza Strip

Was a nine-foot alien with astronauts on the space shuttle?

mirror.co.uk

A UFO conspiracy theorist who claims to be a NASA veteran has insisted he saw a nine-foot
alien astronaut on the space shuttle.

Clark McClelland, who says he worked with NASA as an aerospace engineer for 35 years
from 1958 to 1992, maintains the "truth" of his story currently doing the rounds on paranormal
websites, radio stations and Youtube channels.

Cockpit: McCelland "pictured in the pilot seat of space
shuttle Columbia in 1992” according to his website. The
craft was destroyed 10 years later re-entering the Earth's
atmosphere killing all seven astronauts

McClelland, who has been dismissed as delusional and
never having worked for NASA by sceptics, claims to
/ •’ | have observed an eight to nine-feet

" jM Lift

ll.-im

The Columbia space shuttle which McClelland says he sat in the cockpit of

McCelland gives a testimony of the "sighting" in a video on conspiracy website Paranormal
Crucible which has produced mock-up images of the plus-size "entity" interacting with NASA
astronauts in a bay of the shuttle as described by he described while he was allegedly
monitoring it from the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

He also claims to have seen on another occasion a UFO at the rear of the shuttle.

First contact: US astronaut approaches "alien" in online video mock-up of the encounter

Detailing the experience on his website, www.stargate-chronicles.com, he claims that while
monitoring an unspecified top secret mission from the space center’s launch control centre on
a 27-inch video screen, he saw the "alien" standing upright on two legs in the space shuttle
payload bay, interacting with the two tethered US astronauts and watched it for one minute

NASA

Youtube/Paranormal Crucible

and seven seconds.

Point: "Humanoid" gestures towards
astronauts in another mocked-up image
in Paranormal Crucible's video

Fellow UFO chasers have seized on his
allegation as some of the "most
conclusive" evidence for long-held
theories that the US Government has
made contact with alien life forms but is
determined to keep it secret from the
public at large.

Youtube/Paranormal Crucible

Youtube/Clark McClelland's channel

Supporters of McClelland, who believe
claims on his website he was involved
in 800-plus NASA operations, including
the Apollo missions, launching of the
International Space Station and the
space shuttle programme, believe what
he says and that the US space agency
has never refuted his story.

To boldly claim: Clark McClelland
making allegation of the sighting in
online video

His website shows a picture labelled as
him and Judy Resnick, the second ever
US female astronaut who died in the
1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster
alongside six others.

McClelland makes a series of shocking
claims about aliens infiltrating
governments on Earth in a video he
recorded unearthed recently by
paranormal website Inquisitr, which
also claims the US government has
crippled him by taking his pension and
left him on social security.

Docked: What conspiracy theorists claim is a still image of an alien craft docking with the
International Space Station taken during live camera footage of it on January 29 2014

In one video he said: "I know an ET and alien craft when I see them. Aliens are here on
Earth, they walk among us. They may have been implanted into our various Earth

governments.

UFO believers are satisfied by pictures
of him on his website, named after a
self-published ebook of the same
name, that he was with NASA.

But one online sceptic posted on a
forum on the Abovetopsecret.com site
which looks at "alternative topics" and
conspiracy theories, questioned the
validity of his stories, asking: "Why is it
if you google his name it only comes up
on UFO websites, or postings in forums
where the topic of the post was UFOs? There are no mentions of him on NASA's site."

Youtube/Paranormal Crucible

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3:56PM BST 30 Mar 201 5

telegraph.co.uk

Tuesday 31 March 2015

From poetry to insults: the most extraordinary wills of the last 50 years

One man left his daughter money if she left her husband and another repaid
a debt for a packet of sausages

One man left his widow just one farthing after she insulted him when he broke wind
and another left his entire estate to his daughter on the condition that she left her
“immoral” husband.

The strange requests are among some of the most bizarre found by experts who
have spent more than half a century studying wills.

The team at London-based genealogy firm Fraser and Fraser dug up scores of
“hilarious” passages written on the legal declarations but have whittled their results
down to a top ten, revealed for the first on Monday.

Among them is one man who left £26,000 to Jesus Christ, but only if Jesus proved
his identity.

Another, Annie Langabeer, 59, left her brother-in-law two shillings and six pence so
he could “buy a rope” because she wanted him to hang himself.

It was accompanied with the message “though dead our spirits live”.

And one, written by Stephen Cuthbert from Wiltshire in 2002, included strict
instructions that his estate paid for the “p — up” after his funeral.

Experts have sifted through 200,000 wills since the late 1960s in a bid to trace
people's family trees.

Neil Fraser, 39, a partner at the firm, said: "Most of them are fairly old. Usually
when we find the hilarious passages, we are all just researching people's next of
kin and we suddenly stumble across something unusual.

“It's quite hard to spot the unusual lines because they are typically just one
paragraph in a five page document.

"But every now and again you will stumble across a funny line, paragraph or
strange request which makes us laugh in the office."

Frank Smith, from Romsey, Hants, knew exactly what he wanted to do with his
£2,989 estate in December 1937.

He left all of his remaining possessions to his daughter as long as she did not
continue living with her “immoral husband”.

Mr Smith, who died in November 1 942, said the money should go to the Exchequer
if she disobeyed his request.

April, aged 75.

Pork sausages (Alamy)

In February 1999, Kenneth
Gibson, from Lincolnshire,
insisted that his daughter be
given the “price of half a pound
of pork sausages” after her late
mother, Ann Cox, did not pay
her for them.

He died two months later in

Isaac Cooke from Surrey, wrote his will in 1935 and died the following year.

He left everything to his wife, Alice, and wrote his entire will in a “beautiful” seven-
verse rhyming poem.

One section reads: "To Alice Cooke my loving wife, for her to keep or use. Without
reserve throughout her life, however she may choose."

Rather less poetically, Albert Orton, 70, from Coventry, who died aged 70 in 1888,
left one farthing to his wife because he was disgusted at the treatment he received
from her.

The boot and shoe manufacturer said she called him a “rotten old pig” because he
broke wind.

Richard Walker, who wrote his will in 1981 left £10,000 to the “love of his life”’, Miss
Miss Gay Varasporn Suwanahong whom he met in a bar in Thailand.

She could only receive the sum when she turned 21. Mr Walker, from
Wolverhampton, died in Bangkok in 1982, aged 41 . He wrote in his will: "Tell her I

love her more than anyone I have ever met.

Sir Charles Stewart Henry Vane Tempest Stewart, the 7th Marquess of
Londonderry, wrote his 55-page will in 1945. He was one of the richest men in the
country at the time and had everything covered. He not only wanted his wife to
have all of his animals, but also “the natural increase of animals” too.

The top ten most bizarre wills:

1 . Annie Langabeer, from Sutton, Surrey, died in Epsom, aged 59 in 1932. She
wrote in her will her brother in law, Daniel Jones, should be paid 2 shillings and six
pence to enable him to purchase a rope with the message ’though dead our spirits
live’.

2. Isaac Cooke from Surrey, wrote his will in 1935 and died in 1936. He left
everything to his wife, Alice, and wrote his entire will in a seven-verse rhyming
poem. One section reads: "To Alice Cooke my loving wife, for her to keep or use.
Without reserve throughout her life, however she may choose."

3. Frank Smith, from Romsey, Hants, had £2989 and wrote his will in December
1937. He died in November 1942. He wrote in his will to leave all remaining
possessions to his daughter as long as she doesn’t continue living with her
'immoral husband’ or permit her husband to benefit from the inheritance. And if the
daughter does not do this, everything will go to the Exchequer for the purposes of
the state.

4. Albert Orton, 70, from Coventry, was born in 1818. He only left one farthing to
his wife because he was disgusted at the treatment he received from her. The boot
and shoe manufacturer said she called him a ’rotten old pig’ because he broke
wind. He died in 1888, aged 70.

5. A man left £26,000 to Jesus Christ, provided that his identity could be
established.

6. Kenneth Gibson, born in 1923 in Lincolnshire, requested in 1999 his step
daughter should get the ’price of half a pound of pork sausages that she claimed in
my presence that her late mother Ann Cox had not paid her for’. He died in April
1999.

7. Martin Turner, wrote his will in January 1916. He was in the British Army and
had the original surname of Tuchmann which was stated in all records. But he
requested everyone should call him, his heir heirs and children by the surname
Turner only.

8. Richard Walker, wrote his will in 1981 and decided to leave the majority of his
state, £10,000, to the ’love of his life’, Miss Miss Gay Varasporn Suwanahong -
who he met in a bar in Thailand. She could only receive the sum when she turned
21. Mr Walker, from Wolverhampton, died in Bangkok in 1982, aged 41 . He wrote
in his will: "Tell her I love her more than anyone I have ever met."

9. Sir Charles Stewart Henry Vane Tempest Stewart, the 7th Marquess of
Londonderry, wrote his 55-page will in 1945. He was one of the richest men in the
country at the time and had everything covered. He not only wanted his wife to
have all of his animals, but also 'the natural increase of animals' too.

10. Stephen Cuthbert, from Wiltshire, wrote his will in 2002 with strict instructions
that his estate paid for the 'piss up' after his funeral.

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Funeral Directors’ Ghost Stories #1

March 29th 2015 bristolpOSt.CO.uk

Most people who work in the funeral profession would agree that there is an unseen world.
This is no joke. I will later include a joke so you will be able to tell the difference. At one time
or another most will have experienced some form of psychic phenomena. As you might
imagine, when dealing with the dead on a daily basis inexplicable events occur constantly.
One man may see spirits. Another may hear voices. A third may wake up and find himself the
regional manager of a corporate funeral business.

Ex-President of the Association of British Funeral Directors, Professor Richard Spandecks
has assembled transcripts of interviews with those who have had some form of supernatural
experience in his soon-to-be-published book, Scared Stiff. If Spandecks is to be believed,
many apparitions appear not only intelligent but also to take an active interest in the work of
the undertaker - perhaps more actively than some would prefer.

There is no doubt in my mind that certain events here recorded are genuine, especially those
having been experienced by more than one person simultaneously,' he says of the interviews.
'What follows is a selection of the most remarkable cases which I hope will prove
incontestably that after we die our souls often wander aimlessly and rely more heavily than
before on astrological readings.

Professor Richard Spandecks is an avid apostle of the theory of the afterlife and, to a lesser
degree, loose pads. In a recent controversial paper he went so far as to suggest that
undedakers should turn down a deceased person's bed and leave a knock-out bread and
butter pudding on the pillow. 'This, ' he confidently declared, 'would ease their deathly
transition while at the same time ensure that great comments were left in the daybook.'
Shodly after putting this into practise he was unfodunately sectioned under a mental health
act and the Association quickly elected a new President.

Case #1

One of the strangest accounts occurred on 2nd November 2014, reported by undertakers
Danny Lubeck and Bill Shill after attending The Slipway Nursing Home in Birmingham:

'Danny and I arrived at Slipway at three-fifteen in the morning. I noticed Danny had dozed off
which was odd because he was the one driving. Anyway, after I had carried him over to the
front door he woke up. By then it was around three-thirty. The whole place was eerily
deserted but only to be expected at that time of night. I knocked at the door and straight away
an elderly lady of say around eighty-five stumbled forward. She smelt of Penhaligons Violetta.
She wore a blue checked sorbetto dress and a scarlet beret, which reminded me of the way
my grandmother would dress on Rama Navami. She stood transfixed on us for what felt like
several hours, then holding a finger against her lips she pointed out a printed notice on the
wall supplied by the Health and Safety Executive. The poster highlighted the three vital signs
of death for all visiting undertakers: (1 ) Does not speak, (2) Does not move, and (3) Wears a
vaguely surprised expression. Then, suddenly clasping my hand in hers like little red riding
hood she led us in a lame shuffle along the corridor to a bedroom where poor emaciated
Terence Cradock lay fulfilling all three of the printed diagnostic signs. A few minutes later,

after we had secured him to his stretcher we were led back the way we came. At the front
door the lady in the scarlet beret leaned in towards Mr Cradock and started singing, 'Rock-A-
Bye Your Baby With A Dixie.’ At first, I thought we may have stumbled into some undercover
filming but before I could even catch Danny's eye the lady began to dissolve into a milky haze
making a rasping sound not unlike a deflating balloon. After that, I think Danny panicked
because he let out a cry of terror and almost fainted. Once he got a grip on himself we carried
Mr Cradock out to the removal car and left. I remember looking at the clock. Oddly enough, it
was precisely three fifteen. When we got back I reported the incident to my line manager who
told me what I had seen was a flock of moths and that the car clock hadn't worked in weeks
and always showed that time. But I know this type of spirit caper is not uncommon and most
funeral people will freely admit to having been at the receiving end of such an occurrence
particularly around three in the morning. Incidentally, I never saw Danny again.'

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Geologists claim stats, science prove Jesus buried in Jerusalem
with wife and supposed son

jpost.com

Canadian-lsraeli filmmaker-journalist and geoarcheologist claim they’ve reached a
scientific breakthrough with theological implications.

implications.

The James Ossuary with Inscription,
(photo credit:LORI WOODALL)

An Israeli geologist believes he has found
the tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem, and this
time, the tomb of his supposed son is
buried along with him.

After 150 chemical tests, Canadian-
lsraeli filmmaker-journalist Simha
Jacobovici and geoarcheologist Arye
Shimron claim they’ve reached a scientific
breakthrough with theological

The finding has been over 35 years in the making, amid court cases, legal restrictions and
scientific and biblical pushback. Through methodical scientific testing, Shimron and
Jacobovici say they were able to connect the James Ossuary - whose existence was
announced in 2002 and containing inscriptions referencing the burial of Jesus - to the long-
disputed “Jesus Family tomb" in the capital’s EastTalpiot neighborhood - thus
archeologically and statistically proving the existence of Jesus.

The discovery, according to the
researchers, proves that Jesus was
buried in Jerusalem along with nine
other people, one being “Judah, son
of Jesus,” another his supposed
wife, “Mary” - an obvious affront to
the common-knowledge New
Testament theology. “He [Shimron]
has made what I think is a huge
discovery,” Jacobovici told The
Jerusalem Post. “I have been following him and his work for the past seven years, this is not
an overnight thing.”

Shimron’s work has linked together two findings that on their own hold less significance, but
when put together they lead to what Jacobovici calls “an archeological slam dunk.”

The story began with the 1980 discovery of the Talpiottomb, otherwise known as the “Jesus
Family Tomb.”

During the construction boom in Jerusalem at that time, it was not considered controversial,
as more than 800 tombs were unearthed, most dating back to the Second Temple period and
the time of Jesus.

The bones in the tomb were in boxes known as ossuaries, with multiple ossuaries in one
tomb. Three thousand ossuaries from the Second Temple period have been found to date -
2,000 are in possession of the Antiquities Authority, but the rest are in private ownership,
many sold by vendors in the Old City.

Around 20 percent of the ossuaries have inscriptions on them. In the tomb found in East
Talpiot there were numerous inscriptions that fit the story of Jesus. One ossuary was a box
with the inscription “Jesus, son of Joseph.” Next to it there were “Maria," “Joseph," another
“Mary,” “Yose" (a name associated in the New Testament with the brother of Jesus),
“Matthew” and most controversially of all - “Judah, son of Jesus.” For 16 years the relics lay
with the Antiquities Authority, unreported and disregarded, due to the lack of proof backing its
possible significance. After all, Joseph, Mary and Jesus were all common names at the time.

Jacobovici was producing a documentary on the artifact, and went to a statistician from the
University of Toronto, who told him those names each separately composed approximately
8% of the population. But of that population who had the common names, a very small
percentage had a mother named Mary and a brother named Joseph. Jacobovici was sure
there was something more here. So he had the patinas of the tombs scraped and analyzed,
searching for links proving or discounting the New Testament connection.

“But there was something here that becomes theologically upsetting to Christians,” Jacobovici
said. “Many people believe that Jesus spiritually rose to heaven. But many others believe that
he stood up, left the tomb, and physically went up. But now there’s a bone box here with his
tomb, thats not good.”

Work on the findings came to a halt
in 2007 when archeologists deemed
the chances too slim for the story to
be real.

Jacobovici’s documentary The Lost
Tomb of Jesus, produced by James
Cameron (Titanic) was first
broadcast on the Discovery Channel
in 2007.

The second prong of the mystery emerged in 2002, with the discovery of a bone box in the

private collection of Oded Golan, the largest collector of biblical ossuaries in the world.

While examining Golan’s collection, an academic from the Sorbonne found an ossuary with
the inscription “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” This is became known as the
“James Ossuary.” At the time it made headlines as the first archeological evidence that Jesus
existed. The hype grew around the discovery, until the story came crashing down when
Golan was accused of forging the inscription. Shimron and Jacobovici linked up on the project
and began their search for more evidence. If the James Ossuary originated from the “Jesus
Family tomb,” it was possible that the ossuary held the bones of Jesus’s brother. They knew
the chances were near statistically impossible, but continued pursuit.

The authority declared the “brother of Jesus" part of the inscription a forgery and pressed
charges against Golan. After seven years, a Jerusalem court found him innocent.

Golan spent seven years on trial on charges of forging the inscription on the ossuary. He was
found innocent in 2012.

Just two weeks ago, Shimron received access to the James Ossuary, enabling him to cross-
reference findings between the two tombs.

Shimron said that testing the patina, as Jacobovici did, was not enough to prove the scientific
connection, as the surface of patinas could be contaminated.

He scraped underneath the patinas of the box to get into the ossuary itself. He ran
approximately 200 tests on the chemistry of the samples from 25 different ossuaries. As
Shimron did further tests, the results for magnesium, silicon and iron matched up. It seemed
statistically too good to be true.

He found that the Talpiot tomb had a unique chemical signature and that the random samples
did not match that signature, but that the James Ossuary did. He also found that the soil that
had seeped inside it, perfectly matched the soil that seeped inside the Talpiot ossuaries,
including the “Jesus Family tomb,” thus illustrating that the James Ossuary spent most of its
existence in the East Talpiot location.

“This find illustrates that the James Ossuary is authentic and the Jesus Family tomb indeed
belongs to the family of Jesus of Nazareth,” Jacobovici said.

Today the Talpiot tomb is sealed underground between apartment buildings in East Talpiot,
and its ossuaries are back with the Antiquities Authority. The James Ossuary is with its
owner, Golan, who according to The New York Times, keeps the box in a secret location.

The findings of the James Ossuary and the “Jesus Family tomb” have the ability to shake up
the Christian debate, and Shimron and Jacobovici are well aware of that. They expect the
Christian community to not take well to the findings, but they argue that their research is
purely scientific, and not theological, in nature.

If true, not only do the findings prove Jesus’s existence and burial in Jerusalem, but they also
lead scientists to believe he was buried with his supposed son, Judah. The case has already

aroused international interest, after The Times devoted an Easter Sunday feature to the
claims.

In response to the finding, Prof.

James Tabor from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte said that scholars should take
these kinds of findings as historical data. He believes that archeologists, geologists and
scholars should remain in search of truth and fact. “If in fact Jesus’s tomb is found, the
procedures would be no different than the discovery of any other tomb," Tabor said. “But in
the case of Jesus everything changes, because he is such a lightning rod figure for so many
people - because if you find the bones of Jesus in a tomb then he did not rise from the dead."

This discovery would be a concern for evangelicals, Protestants, Roman Catholics, even the
Vatican, due to its contradiction of their faith.

“There are lots of more modern Christians who view the resurrection as more spiritual, and as
a historical and scientific event that doesn’t threaten the faith,” Tabor said. “But for most it is
very controversial, let’s face it. With the James ossuary says James, son of Joseph, brother
of Jesus.’” “It doesn’t necessarily contradict biblical findings, but it contradicts faith more,” he
said.

The Jerusalem Post annual NY conference- save your seat now with early bird tickets

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Ghost sightings in haunted houses linked to hallucinogenic
mould hidden in walls

express.co.uk

GHOSTLY sightings in haunted houses are being linked TOXIC MOULD which may
spark a form of hallucination.

By Levi Winchester

PUBLISHED: 10:59, Thu, Apr 2, 2015

Researchers studying ghostly apparitions said that hauntings are usually reported in old
buildings which often have poor air quality from pollutants.

Previous research has shown that toxic mould can affect the brain, but the results of indoor
mould exposure on cognitive functioning is less known.

Professor Shane Rogers, who is leading the research said: "Experiences reported in many
hauntings are similar to mental or neurological symptoms reported by individuals exposed to
toxic moulds.

"Psychoactive effects of some fungi are well-known, whereas the effects of others such as
indoor moulds are less researched.

"Reports of psychiatric symptoms including mood swings, hyperactivity, and irrational anger,
as well as cognitive impairment are prevalent among those exposed to moulds.

Experiences reported in many hauntings are similar to mental or neurological
symptoms reported by individuals exposed to toxic moulds

Professor Shane Rogers

"Other reports include depression and loss of memory function.

"More recent work is emerging that supports brain inflammation and memory loss in mice
exposed to Stachybotrys charatarum, a common indoor air mould, as well as increased
anxiety and fear."

Toxic mould can grow in wall cavities and under floor boards and is especially common in
older damper houses such as stately homes.

The US study, at Clarkson University in New York, is studying samples taken from several
buildings where ghost sightings have been reported.

Professor Rogers said: "I have long been a fan of ghost stories and shows related to
investigation of haunted places and have to admit to some strange occurrences in my own
past.

Many of the places under investigation and from my own experiences may be prime

environments for mould and other indoor air quality issues.

"We would like to see if we can parse out some commonality between the mould microbiome
in places that are haunted relative to those that are not."

One of their investigations brought them to an office building where there have been reports
of noises, moving ceiling tiles, moving items on shelves and desks, apparitions, and a general
feeling of unease among building occupants.

In another location, the Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg New York, there is a long
history of ghost stories involving the former occupants and others.

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Does this picture show a ghostly child wandering the halls of

Hampton Court Palace? express.co.uk

AS one of Britain’s most haunted buildings, Hampton Court has seen its fair share of
spooky visitors.

PUBLISHED: 16:39, Thu, Mar 26, 2015

Yet palace bosses have been left
puzzled by a photo that appears
to show the ghostly image of a
waif-like child roaming one of the
rooms.

The snap was taken by Sunday
Express reporter James Fielding
during a special sleepover
arranged last weekend to mark
the Tudor building’s 500th
anniversary.

Nothing was visible at the time
on his iPhone later, James

On closer inspection he made out what appears to be a faint outline of a small child in an old-
fashioned white nursery gown.

A spokeswoman for Hampton Court was unable to explain the image but said: “There have
certainly been a lot of reported spooky sightings at Hampton Court Palace through the
centuries.

“A number of our visitors have experienced similar ghostly-goings on - as you might expect
for a building celebrating its 500th birthday this year!”

Ghostly children in Tudor dress are said to be among the many apparitions who wander the
Royal building at night while two youngsters who drowned in a lake reputedly haunt the
grounds.

The image was taken in the Queen’s Privy Chamber, where the Prince and Princess of Wales
would receive courtiers in the absence of King George I.

It follows another eerie camera phone image captured at Hampton Court earlier this month.

Schoolgirl Holly Hampsheir, 12, photographed a tall ghostly figure, with long hair, looming
over her cousin Brook McGhee, also 12.

Express

except four mannequins in Georgian dress but looking back
noticed a strange mist hovering just above the floor.

Some believe the pair caught on camera one of the
palace’s most infamous ghouls, Dame Sybil Penn,
otherwise known as the Grey Lady.

Dame Sybil, a servant and nurse to Prince Edward
and Elizabeth I, died from smallpox in 1562.

In 2003, a CCTV image showing a pale-faced
spectre dubbed Skeletor throwing open a heavy
security door made headlines around the world.

Perhaps Hampton Court’s most notorious phantom,
however, is that of Henry Vlll’s fifth wife, Catherine
Howard, whose restless spirit is rumoured to run
screaming along the aptly named Haunted Gallery.

She was beheaded in 1542 after being accused of adultery and treason.

James said: “I originally took the photo because I thought the mannequins and costumes
looked creepy.

“As I looked at the image a little closer, though, I saw what appeared to be an outline of
something near to one of the dresses, possibly a small child.

“It could of course be nothing more than the light reflecting off the shiny floorboards, but you
never know.

“Hampton Court is one of those places where your mind can easily play tricks!"

Express

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Ghost tours put paying visitors in touch with area's
paranormal past

By Paula King For the Contra Costa Times Posted: 04/07/2015 03:51:21 PM PDT 0
Comments \ Updated: about 5 hours ago

Posted: 04/07/201 5 03:51:21 PM PDT 0 Comments \ Updated: about 5 hours ago C0ntraC0Statimes.C0m

BRENTWOOD - As a group of about 30 ghost hunters walked along some train tracks in
downtown Brentwood last Friday night, some took photos with their cell phones and noticed
large orbs in the images. A few of them shouted out "I have a hit" when their K2 meters,
which measure electro-magnetic fields, lit up.

"T rain stations are a hot spot for paranormal activity," explained tour guide and Brentwood
Historic Ghost Tours co-founder Stephanie Dourgarian.

When fellow co-founder of the popular tours Amy Schrader asked if there were any spirits
among the crowd using a Spirit Box, a strong, masculine voice said "Rudy." After a few
minutes of interaction with "Rudy" using the Spirit Box to verbally communicate with him and
dowsing rods Dourgarian held to ask "yes" and "no" questions, the pair surmised that "Rudy"
had been killed on those train tracks in a truck and had been drinking on the night of his
death.

By repeatedly saying "let's go" through the Spirit Box, "Rudy" indicated that he wanted to
show the group the exact spot where he died. A female voice on the Spirit Box said that her
name was "Dawn," and "Rudy" called her his "sweetheart."

Since Schrader likes to leave gifts for the spirits during the tours, which she explained is an
ancient Chinese custom for the deceased, she asked "Rudy" if he liked wine. He instantly
stated that he preferred white wine over red.

Although Brentwood Historic Ghost Tours was founded in 2013 and often encounters the
same friendly and unfriendly spirits, "Rudy" was a new ghost to both Schrader and
Dourgarian. The duo have also led tours in Antioch, Oakley, Byron, Nevada and are adding
the historic Ryde Hotel and the town of Locke along the Delta this spring.

"We do not look to entertain," said Schrader. "We let our guests decide for themselves. We
just expose them to the history and equipment that is believed to be used by spirits to
communicate with us. We welcome skeptics."

Their hometown area of Contra Costa County was chosen because of its rich history of
bootlegging, mafia ties, unsolved murders, saloons and a scarlet fever epidemic that all have
haunting potential. They started by inquiring with long-time businesses about any paranormal
activity. Some don't want to participate in the tours but have used them for private
investigations.

"We scour through history. We find stuff that the historical society doesn't have," Schrader
said. "It is a really fun way to experience history."

Last weekend's Brentwood tour included a first stop at Sweeney's restaurant, which is the site
of Brentwood's most infamous unsolved murder of former owner Jimmy Torre, who owned a
saloon there, according to Schrader. She added that Torre has been known to sit at the end
of the bar as a friendly, protective spirit and often mysteriously leaves 1 1 cents for the current
staff to find.

The next stop was at All Inked Up Books, the former home of local blacksmith Charles Cowan
and his children, two of whom died from the 1912 scarlet fever outbreak. When the bookstore
is closed, the spirits of those children have been known to take books off the shelves and
rearrange artwork and they also frequent the neighboring Delta Cinema, according to
Schrader.

Tour regular Kim Good has been on about 20 tours with Brentwood Historic Ghost Tours and
said that each one is authentic and unique. She has been inspired to start her own
paranormal group called Concord Antioch Paranormal Society.

"They usually keep the groups small and intimate, too, so everyone meshes well together,"
Good said. "I like that they do these tours where we all live and would probably never know
the history behind these places that are in our own backyard. They also have the latest
technology so it is really neat to see how they all work together."

Among Good's favorite tours is the Byron train wreck investigation that allows visitors to enter
what some call a haunted train car from the 1 902 incident, which killed an entire Chinese
wedding party and family members. She noted that she has heard knocks and footsteps,
seen shadows and mist and taken some interesting photos on the various tours.

"They (guests) want to be spooked," said Dourgarian, who is sensitive to spirits. "It is a
sharing of history and an experience."

IF YOU GO

Brentwood Historic Ghost Tours will host investigations at the Ryde Hotel at 10 p.m. April 10
and in Locke at 6 p.m. April 18. The cost is $20 per person. For more information, visit
www.brentwoodhistoricghosttours.com or its Facebook page or Instagram at
@brentwoodhistoricghosttours.

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GHOSTS DO EXIST and Google Earth image of Swanley home proves
it

09:15 Thursday 2 April 2015 neWSShoppei'.CO.Uk

Woman sees ghost of mother, father and dog in Google Earth image of Swanley family home

The eerie Google Earth
image of the house in Rowan
Road

by Patrick Grafton-Green

A woman claims she has seen her mother's ghost in the window of her old family
home in Swanley, while looking on Google Earth.

Michelle McHattie said she was "shocked" when she saw the image of mum
Kathleen King, who died aged 82 in 2012, in the window of the house in Rowan
Road.

As she looked further she also noticed her father, and Kathleen's husband,
James King, who died in July last year, aged 83.

She also spotted a dog in the window - which may be the old family dog Blackie.

Scarily, the Google Earth photograph was taken in October last year.

If this wasn't proof enough of supernatural goings-on, Ms McHattie added it was
only after her parents had died that the curtains in the window were removed -
there are no curtains in the Google Earth image.

News Shopper:

The 41-year-old, of Farm Avenue, Swanley told News Shopper: "I was looking on
Google Earth and I thought I would see what the house is like.

"I was so shocked to see there is someone in the window.

"I can honestly tell you if you see a picture of my mum, there is my mum and she
is in the corner.

"I am just flabbergasted."

What can you see in the Google Earth image of Ms McHattie's family home?
E-mail patrickgg@london.newsquest.co.uk

Comments (6)

8:07pm Thu 2 Apr 15

Irwin says...

She must have been camera shy.

She must have been camera shy. Irwin

8:13pm Thu 2 Apr 15

HextableMum says...

I can see a man looking straight ahead on the left but not a lady.

I can see a man looking straight ahead on the left but not a lady. HextableMum

9:16pm Thu 2 Apr 15

Gypo.J oe says...

Fire the window cleaner and clean 'em yaself boi™ !

Fire the window cleaner and clean 'em yaself boi™ ! Gypo. Joe

9:59pm Thu 2 Apr 15

Hugh Jooters says...

Thats incredible isnt it
I am convinced.

Just like I am in all David Cameron's promises tonight, which I couldnt even be asked to watch!

Her mother had a very unusual square head though didnt she.

And a big white line going straight across the middle of it!

Thats incredible isnt it I am convinced. Just like I am in all David Cameron's promises tonight, which I
couldnt even be asked to watch! Her mother had a very unusual square head though didnt she. And a
big white line going straight across the middle of it! Hugh Jooters

10:18pm Thu 2 Apr 15

Lisa bker says...

Zoom in and you will see !!!

Zoom in and you will see !!! Lisa bker

12:05am Fri 3 Apr 15

nearly right all the time says...

WHAT!

You are having a laugh!

There is NOTHING ! Only reflections on a window pane

Sorry folks to tell you ONCE YOU ARE DEAD YOU ARE DEAD , no 20 virgins,

no St Peter with the keys to the place, no living as a servant to Louis 14th, , or Joan of Arc. YOU ARE
DEAD!

So why not enjoy it while you are here!

WHAT! You are having a laugh! There is NOTHING ! Only reflections on a window pane Sorry folks to tell
you ONCE YOU ARE DEAD YOU ARE DEAD , no 20 virgins, no St Peter with the keys to the place, no
living as a servant to Louis 14th, , or Joan of Arc. YOU ARE DEAD! So why not enjoy it while you are
here! nearly right all the time

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Giraffe is gored to death by an antelope in front of horrified
children at Norwegian zoo after getting its neck stuck in a
fence

05:1 3 EST, 7 April 2015 \

05:13 est, 7 April 2015 dailymail.co.uk

Wednesday, Apr 8th 2015

Giraffe is gored to death by an antelope in front of horrified children at Norwegian zoo
after getting its neck stuck in a fence

• Melvin the giraffe was killed by an antelope at Norwegian zoo

• Giraffe gored by antelope horn as he was stuck in a fence

• Around 30 people, many of them children, witnessed death

Dozens of children witnessed a giraffe being gored to death by an antelope at a Norwegian
zoo on Easter Monday.

Melvin the giraffe had got his head stuck in a fence when he was attacked by an eland
antelope walking in the same enclosure at Kristiansand zoo, around 200 miles south of Oslo.

Zoo vets rushed to the scene, but were unable to save the five-year-old giraffe, who died in
front of shocked families.

Tragedy: Melvin the giraffe was attacked by an
antelope walking in the same enclosure at
Kristiansand Zoo in southern Norway

Around 30 people witnessed the unprovoked
attack at Dyreparken Kristiansand on Monday.

Melvin was a firm favourite among young
visitors, having been named in a readers'
competition in a national newspaper when he
was born at the zoo in 2010.

Witness 0ivind Hansen, who was visiting the
zoo with his family and photographed the
event said even his 23-year-old daughter had come home crying after the incident.

'It was very traumatic. People were crying everywhere,' he told Verdens Gang.

Melvin had gotten his horns stuck in the enclosure's fence when suddenly the eland, the
second largest antelope in the world, suddenly attacked.

Deadly attack: The large eland antelope gored five-year-old Melvin to death in an unprovoked
attack after giraffe had gotten his head stuck in the enclosure's fence

Horrible scenes: Around 30 people, many
of them children, witnessed Melvin, who
was born at the zoo in 2010 and named in
a local newspaper competition, die in the
enclosure

'He was panicking and tugged and tore to
free himself, and then came a rather large
animal with sharp horns and ran right into
him,' Mr Hansen adds.

'It is incredibly sad,' Dyreparken's chief
executive told Dagbladet.no.

'He was alive when our veterinarian came to
the scene, but died while he tried to save him.'

'Melvin was gored right near his lungs and
heart, and the injuries were so serious that they
killed him,' veterinarian Rolf Arne 0lberg, who
was called to the scene, said.

Mr 0lberg added that the two animals have
been walking in the same enclosure since
Melvin's birth in 2010 and has no idea why the
antelope launched the deadly attack on the
young giraffe.

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Hatfield's Jail Break - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

The Hatfield-McCoy feud is a part of American history that
has became a common adjective for any bitter dispute
between people. The original warfare lasted from 1878 until
1891. The battle didn’t generate a great deal of public
interest until after it was over, so myths and misconceptions
continue to abound even today.

Origins

The Hatfield family, headed by William Anderson "Devil
Anse” Hatfield, lived on the West Virginia side of the state
line. They had both money and power. The McCoys
resided in Kentucky, headed by patriarch Randolph “Ole Ran’l” McCoy. They lacked the
resources and connections their neighbors enjoyed.

No one has solidly established just how long the families feuded before they drew outside
scrutiny. As far back as the Civil War, the two parties disagreed over which side to choose.
The Hatfields became Confederates while the McCoys supported the Union. This is believed
to be the starting point for their famous personal conflicts, although a few unverified accounts
state the bad blood between them went back as far as 1850 and involved some stolen
livestock.

The feud has many origins in theory. A popular variation states the battle heated when Asa
Harmon McCoy returned home from the Army in 1865. The ex-Union soldier had been
medically discharged after he broke his leg. According to this story, a group of militant ex-
Confederates headed by a Hatfield, ambushed and killed McCoy. It was soon proven that
Devil Anse had absolutely nothing to do with the murder. He was bedridden due to illness
when the crime was supposed to have happened. Facts didn’t quell suspicion that Hatfield’s
relatives were involved.

Some versions of the story state this was the beginning of the feud, while others concede the
murder wasn’t even a factor in the later struggles. Whatever the cause, the feud would
eventually be credited with 13 deaths.

The Not-So-Great Train Robbery

John Hatfield, cousin of Devil Anse, gained most of his notoriety long after the feud had
ended and the Twentieth Century began. He managed to remain on the wrong side of the law
well into his golden years. In March of 1913, John and friends, Robert Cline and “Burman”
Hatfield, decided they would hold up a Southern T rain as it traveled through Wise County,

by admin • January 24, 2015

GHOST HAS
A REVOLVER

Threatens to Shoot
Several Men.

hatfieid

Virginia.

The bandits were able to successfully stop the train and delay it for another 6 hours.
Unfortunately, the train turned out to be a cargo train and not a passenger train. When they
realized their failure, the empty-handed bandits fled. Luck remained with Hatfield that year
because the authorities never found him.

Hatfield dodged the law for another decade, but the luck ran out. He was arrested, charged,
and convicted of the murder of a man named Mullins by 1922. His 20-year-sentence didn’t
dampen his spirits, even though he was 72-years-old.

Hatfield decided he was tired of incarceration by December 1 923. He warned his jailer that he
was going to break out in a few days, but the warden laughed at the old man’s threat. Hatfield
made the same statement several times and the authorities decided to check his cell just in
case he had some implement he might use in a jailbreak. The policemen didn’t find a single
file or sharp object to support Hatfield’s threats. They dismissed his claims as nothing more
than ramblings from an aging outlaw.

The authorities weren’t laughing a few days later. Somehow, the outlaw really did break out of
jail. The cell inmates somehow pried a steel rail from one of the beds and used it to pry the
bars from the window. A water hose was used to climb down from the fourth floor.

To add to the law’s chagrin, convicted murderers Stephen Wood and Alex Mullins followed
right behind Hatfield. Two other criminals also escaped with them. The men fled into the
night.

Inmates eventually noticed the empty cells and alerted the guards. Searchers were
dispatched from the jail and fire departments, but it was too late. The heavy falling snow had
already covered their tracks. Hatfield’s ultimate fate is not known, but his last quote to the
other inmates was, “Tell that jailer he told me a barefaced lie when he said there was no
chance for me gettin’ outta here.”

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Haunted New Orleans: 5 horrifying stories and
legends

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -

cbs3springfield.com

Haunted New Orleans: 5 horrifying stories and legends

Updated: Oct 31, 2014 10:13 AM PDT

Written by: Brian Wiechert, Digital Content Producer

bwiechert@fox8live.com

Haunted New Orleans

Oct 31 , 2014 1 1 :43 AM The Myrtles Mansion "The Ghost Girl" of The Myrtles
Plantation (Source: myrtlesplantation.com)

LaLaurie Mansion

The Myrtles Plantation Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar

(Source:

myrtlesplantation.com)

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. ' ;The Myrtles Plantation
■ (Source:

myrtlesplantation.com)

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar

New Orleans is a city with a
rich and dark history. Many
believe that the city is among
the most haunted in the
United States. Locals say
there is a reason behind the
reported haunting.

“We've had a great
concentration of death in a
relatively small period of time
in a relatively small area,”
said Sydney Smith, a guide
with Haunted History Tours.
“They say violent death a
strong emotion. It contributes
to hauntings and paranormal activity - and we've had no shortage of that here.”

Legends of grisly murders, plundering pirates, voodoo spirits and restless
wanderers run rampant across the city. Here are a few of the reported hauntings
and the legends behind them.

1. LaLaurie Mansion

Born in New Orleans, the
prominent Delphine LaLaurie
was married three times over
the course of her life.

The origin of the ghostly tale
begins in 1832 when Dr.
Louis LaLaurie and
Delphine moved to a
Creole mansion in the
French Quarter. Known for
their wealth and
prominence, the house
was attended to by dozens
of slaves.

Following a fire in the
mansion’s kitchen, the
horrors of the home were
revealed. Legend has it that
behind a barred door in the attic
was a torture chamber for those
enslaved. Many stories detail the
cruelty involved; men and women
chained to the walls, children shut
inside cages and body parts
strewn across the floor.

Many have heard the tale of
Madame LaLaurie and her
torture chamber on Royal
Street.

an outraged mob.

LaLaurie later fled to Paris,
believed to be run from town by

Tales of lingering are said to haunt the grounds. Others say the ghost of Delphine
LaLaurie herself haunts the mansion.

2. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

mmm

Established by the Spanish
in 1 789, many of the city’s
early occupants and
infamous personalities are
interred here, including
Marie Laveau. It has also
been named the ’Most
Haunted Cemetery in the
United States.'

Pirates, aristocrats,
politicians, killers, artists
and the Queen of Voodoo
are interred on the
grounds. With over so
many dead interred, it’s no
wonder the cemetery has
heard its fair share of
ghost stories.

Phantom figures and
yellow fever victims
reportedly stalk the rows
of crypts. However, the
most famous spirit believed to roam the grounds is that of Marie Laveau, New
Orleans' Queen of Voodoo. Some believe that Laveau materializes annually of St.
John’s Eve (June 23) to lead the voodoo faithful in worship.

3. The Myrtles Mansion

Although not in New Orleans, the Myrtles Plantation is just a short day trip from the
city.

The antebellum plantation sits in
St. Francisville, Louisiana. It has
been touted as one of “America’s
Most Haunted Homes.” The home
was built in 1 796. Since it was
erected, it has been the home to
many prominent figures.

It’s said to be haunted by over a
dozen spirits and ghosts. Some
claim the home has seen ten
murders on the grounds. However,
historical records show just one. In
the 1800s, William Winter was shot
and killed on the porch of the
home. His killer is unknown.

Aside from Winter, numerous other
figures reportedly haunt the
grounds. The home is said to be
built on an Indian burial ground.
Other say it’s haunted the ghosts of
prior slaves and young children.

Two particularly frightening stories
stem from photographs showing
alleged spirits and ghosts.

According to the plantation’s
website, a young slave girl (known
as Chloe) was photographed on
the grounds of the plantation.
Another photo depicts what
appears to be a young, antebellum
girl staring out of a window behind

two visitors (photos in slideshow above).

4. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar

A small tavern located on the corner of Bourbon and St. Philip, it is one of the
oldest surviving buildings in New Orleans.

Built sometime between 1722 and
1732, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar
is reputed to be the oldest structure
used as a bar in the United States.

From 1772 and 1791, the property
was believed to have been used by
Jean and Pierre Lafitte. It was used
as a New Orleans base for their
Barataria smuggling operations,
according to legend.

A French-American pirate and
privateer, Jean Lafitte plundered
the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Some stories claim the buccaneer’s
treasure is buried in the building’s
bricks. A fireplace grate in the
downstairs of the bar is rumored to
be the resting place of some of the
plunder. Some say a pair of ghostly
red eyes can be seen staring from
the grate.

Other legends say the ghost of a
pirate guarding the treasure haunts
the bar. Some also say the spirit of
Jean Lafitte roams the tavern.

5. Hotel Monteleone

Built in 1886, the Beaux Arts-style
Hotel Monteleone in the French
Quarter is known for its rotating
Carousel Piano Bar and Lounge.

It’s also known as one of the premier haunted hotels in New Orleans.

The hotel reportedly has a restaurant door that opens and closes every night, even
though it is locked. Elevators stop on wrong floors, leading visitors down eerily
chilly halls.

Legend states that a former employee, a man named William “Red” Wildemere,

died inside the hotel of natural
causes. Visitors reports seeing him
inside.

A toddler spirit name ‘Maurice’ is
also said to roam the halls. He
allegedly died in the hotel and his
distraught parents returned
frequently in hopes he might visit
them.

worldnow«K Allcontent ®

CNN 2015, WSHM;

World Now Springfield, MA. (A
Meredith Corporation
Station) and WorldNow. All Rights
Reserved.

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on this site, please read our
Privacy Policy and Terms of
Service.

Hen-Pecked Husband Claims His Wife Is Nagging Him About His
Slippers Even Though She’s Dead inquisitr.com

A 79-year-old man whose wife
passed away last May is
claiming that she is still nagging
him about his slippers, and lots
of other things, from beyond the
grave.

While Ted Wiseman from the
West Midlands in England
admits that he was hen-pecked
by his beloved wife Yvonne for
many years, he is convinced
that she is still nagging him, a claim confirmed by a medium who Ted went to see.

He spoke to reporters about the blunt and frank messages the clairvoyant had from him, from
his dead wife claiming she told him, “You’re wearing my slippers - take them off NOW.”

To Ted’s mind, he is haunted by his wife, literally, as he claims he was recently awoken in the
dead of the night by her bellowing, “Stop bloody sniffing!”

As Ted told reporters, “I was absolutely gobsmacked. That was her. That was exactly what
she used to say. She also got very irritated when I flicked my fingers or sucked my teeth.
When she went off on one, she went blood-red, but she never held a grudge,” he said.

Nevertheless, Ted spoke sort of fondly of his deceased wife saying, “She was the gaffer. If
you did something wrong, she’d let you know,” adding, “I gave in because I never won.”

In speaking about Yvonne, who was a care home worker in her life and was married to Ted
for 46 years, the haunted husband said, “She was a workaholic She liked everything spick
and span and I’ve kept things that way. She was witty and everything we did, we did
together.”

Ted told reporters that he is convinced that the ghost of Yvonne haunts his family home, as
he claims she roams around turning off lights and returning items to their correct place.

As Ted said about his new-found belief in the hereafter, “I was a sceptic, I’m not now. Believe
you me, I’m seeing it. It’s happening in front of me.”

[Featured image: atreasureof]

Posted in: Odd News Posted: March 29, 2015

dailymail.co.uk

How the Nazis were to blame for killer pilot being allowed to
fly

03:56 EST, 31 March 2015

How the Nazis led to killer co-pilot being allowed to fly: Suicidal thoughts were kept
from bosses by German privacy laws brought in after WWII to end government spying
on its citizens

• Strict laws left it up to Andreas Lubitz to tell employers about health issues

• But he tore up sick note on day of disaster with devastating consequences

• Legislation brought in to stop a repeat of spying by Nazis and Stasi police

• Debate rages in Germany over whether to loosen medical privacy laws

By Simon Tomlinson for MailOnline

Andreas Lubitz (above) had received treatment for 'suicidal
tendencies' but doctors were apparently unable to tell his employer
because of strict secrey laws introduced after WWII to prevent a
repeat of government spying during the Nazi era

Strict German privacy laws which prevented doctors treating Andreas
Lubitz from telling his airline about his 'suicidal tendencies' were
introduced in response to Nazi rule.

The Germanwings pilot had been forced to stop his training because
of severe depression and had received psychotherapy for several
years before last week's Alps disaster.

But German law meant it was left entirely up to him to volunteer his
mental health problems to his employer, something he failed to do with devastating
consequences after tearing up a sick note for the day of the crash.

The findings from the investigation have prompted heated debate in Germany on a patient's
right to privacy, with Chancellor Angela Merkel proposing an inquiry to re-examine the law.

Draconian legislation was initially brought in after World War Two to prevent a repeat of
government spying during the Nazi era and subsequently the Stasi secret police in East
Germany.

This extends far beyond confidential medical data, however, to stringent protection of
someone's identity, meaning many German publications only referred to Lubitz as Andreas L,
even after his death.

Further data protection laws traced back to 1907, which enshrines the 'right to your own
picture', also mean images can only be published with the individual's consent, it was
reported by the Times.

With respect to medical data, the criminal code can ultimately leave doctors between a rock
and a hard place.

For it only allows them breach confidentiality when they have reason to believe that sharing
their knowledge could prevent 'a particularly serious crime' or a threat to someone's life.

They can face a year in prison if they wrongly breach privacy, but up to five years in jail for
withholding 'credible information about the planning or commission' of serious acts like
murder.

Despite the variation in sentences, doctors have tended to favour the individual's privacy.

Still reeling from last T uesday's disaster that killed 1 50 people, many in Germany are now
debating whether the potential to neutralise threats to public safety should trump doctor-
patient privilege.

A transport policy expert from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), Dirk
Fischer, said strict confidentiality policy should be loosened when their patients work in
sensitive fields.

Professionals such as pilots 'should only see doctors designated by their employers,' Fischer
told the daily Rheinische Post.

He added that such doctors 'should be relieved of their pledge of secrecy in communication
with the employer and the aviation authority'.

Military vehicles arrive ahead of operations at the site of the Germanwings plane crash in
Seyne-les-Alpes

A military vehicle carrying a crash site investigation team heads towards the site of the
Germanwings Airbus A320 crash, in Seyne-les-Alpes in the French Alps

Member of parliament Thomas Jarzombek, also of the CDU, called for the creation of a
commission of experts to study how to handle illnesses among those whose jobs mean they
hold the welfare of many people in their hands.

German prosecutors said Monday that Lubitz had been diagnosed 'several years ago' with
suicidal tendencies and was still in treatment.

Although his symptoms had abated, he was apparently written off sick on the day the Airbus
crashed.

Media reports have indicated that Lubitz, 27, was taking medication for severe depression
and was being treated for problems with his vision, possibly for a potentially career-ending
detached retina.

Investigators evaluating voice recorder data say Lubitz remained silent and breathed calmly
as he allegedly locked his captain out of the cockpit and slammed the plane into a French

mountainside.

Carsten Spohr, the head of parent company Lufthansa, has said the airline was utterly
unaware of any health issues that could have compromised Lubitz's fitness to fly, calling him
'100-percent airworthy'.

His professional performance and behaviour had never attracted cause for concern, Spohr
added.

The German Medical Board has clear ethical policies on doctor-patient relations: 'Doctors
must remain silent about what is told to them in confidence or what they learn in their capacity
as doctors.'

It applies even after the death of a patient and includes keeping medical facts secret even
from family members of the person in treatment, under penalty of up to one year in prison or
a fine.

Tragedy: Relatives of the victims of the air crash visit the memorial in Le Vernet, south-
eastern France

Perilous: French Gendarme Bruno Hermignies stands by a bulldozer clearing a path to the
crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 in the mountains near Seyne-les-Alpes as the
recovery operation continues

INTRODUCE MORE TESTS TO WEED OUT PSYCHOPATHIC PILOTS, DEMANDS
GIRLFRIEND OF BRITISH STUDENT KILLED IN FRENCH ALPS PLANE DISASTER

Calling for change: Anneli Tiirik with her boyfriend Paul Bramley, who died in the Alps plane
disaster

The grief-stricken girlfriend of a British student killed in the Alps plane disaster today called
for tougher controls to weed out psychopathic pilots.

At present, airlines carry out regular checks on their pilots, but this often just involves a brief
chat with a doctor to assess their wellbeing.

Anneli Tiirik, who is from Estonia, told MailOnline: 'Besides general physical, psychological
and behavioural evaluation, another test should be added, I believe, to help avoid more
deaths in the future.

'(This should be) a neurological PET scan to discover and attentively observe psychopathic
tendencies, so as to find out whether the subject is prone to violence and therefore not be
given the extensive power that would most likely lead to harming other people.

'It is one thing to be suicidal or obsessive, but feeling no remorse or even nervousness when
killing other human beings is a whole new level - a zone only real psychopaths can fully
understand.’

Ms Tiirik also called for laws to be relaxed to allow doctors greater freedoms to flag up
patients with mental health problems if they are responsible for the live of others.

German law meant it was left entirely up to Andreas Lubitz to volunteer his mental health
problems to his employer, something he failed to do with devastating consequences after
tearing up a sick note for the day of the crash.

She said: 'I personally think that the problem doesn't lie in the management of the airline as
much as in the general tendency of the society to be overly protective about people's medical
data.

'It is visible to everyone if somebody has a serious physical illness, but when it comes to
major mental problems, these are hidden away at any cost for fear of embarrassment or
judgement.

'However, those are illnesses as well and should be treated and inspected accordingly,
especially when it comes to job positions regarding huge responsibilities.'

Her boyfriend, Paul Bramley, from Hull, was studying hospitality and hotel management in
Lucerne, Switzerland, where he was about to start an internship after travelling with her.

He had been to Barcelona after completing his first term of college for a few days’ holiday
with friends.

Mr Bramley was flying back to the UK via Dusseldorf to see his family.

One exception, however, is when medical professionals have been excused from this duty by
the patient, or when they have reason to believe that sharing their knowledge could prevent 'a
particularly serious crime' or a threat to someone's life.

A doctor is also obliged to come forward in cases of 'psychiatric illnesses or a possible threat
of suicide', member of parliament Karl Lauterbach, himself a physician, told the daily Bild.

The German board's head, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, urged caution in reassessing the
policy.

Patient privacy is a 'cherished fact and, for all the citizens of Germany, a human right,' he
said.

'You can tell a society that cares about rules when it doesn't slip into hasty action-for-action's-
sake. Or populism,' weekly magazine Stern wrote in an editorial on its website.

'You can also tell a society that can handle the incomprehensible when it becomes clear it
was a one-off case, extreme in every way.

'And, according to the rules of a humanitarian society, indeed - as terrible as it is -
unpreventable.'

The daily Die Welt noted a change in policy could have a chilling effect on people seeking the
necessary treatment.

'Police also have the right... to a frank talk with a doctor without worrying that their employer
will be told.'

Meanwhile investigators sifting through the wreckage and hundreds of body parts in the
French Alps were forced to resume the hunt on foot as bad weather hampered helicopter
flights.

'The teams will get to the site via the path that is already in existence,' said Yves Naffrechoux
from the local mountain police.

Authorities are hoping to identify more DNA from the 150 people who died, as well as locate
the jet's second black box that should provide more clues as to the circumstances of the
tragedy.

Forensic teams have isolated almost 80 distinct DNA strands from the shattered aircraft and
have described the grim task as 'unprecedented' given the tricky mountain terrain and the
speed at which the plane smashed into the rock.

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Celebration goes horribly wrong as hundreds of butterflies are
stamped to death

mirror.co.uk

Hundreds of butterflies stamped to death by children after celebration goes horribly
wrong

• 08:27, 30 March 2015

• By John Shammas

A furniture shop had hoped the event would be remembered as a happy occasion for
their business - but they were wrong

Children would then be invited to chase
after the beautiful winged creatures, which were flown in from China's Yunnan Province.

Horror: The event did not go as
planned

Hundreds of butterflies were killed in a
celebration that transformed quickly
into a traumatic bloodbath.

The shop, based in Chengdu, south
west China, held the ill-fated event on
Saturday in Qingshuihe Park, where
hundreds of butterflies were to be
released from ornamental boxes.

Celebration to tragedy: Hundreds of
butterflies were stamped to death

Upon being released however, the
butterflies were in lethargic form.

Instead of flying off with enchanted
children chasing them as expected,
they remained on the stage, waddling
around on the ground.

But then disaster struck, with over-
excited children storming the stage and
parents looking on in horror as the

stampede of young feet crushed the butterflies.

Horrified event organisers were left to clean up the butterfly bloodbath, later saying that they
felt "very sorry" for the unfortunate death of the animals.

Bloodbath: Organisers have apologised
after the ill-fated event

It is understood that the butterflies did
not fly off as hoped because they had
been kept warm by organisers ahead of
the event.

Upon being released in the chilly city -
a foreign climate for the creatures - the
sleepy animals could not muster the
strength to fly off.

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Hundreds Report UFO Sighting In Cannock Chase, U.K.

inquisitr.com

Posted in: Odd News Posted: March 29, 2015

Hundreds Report UFO Sighting In Cannock Chase, U.K.

Hundreds of residents of Cannock
Chase in Staffordshire, U.K.,
witnessed a UFO flying very low,
slowly and loudly in the sky over
homes in the area on March 24,
2015.

The incident, which took place
around 9 p.m. local time, caused a
great stir even in an area that has
become notorious over the years
as a UFO hotspot.

According to local witnesses,
minutes before the object became
visible in the air, a very loud
droning noise could be heard. And soon, a massive aircraft appeared, moving slowly over homes with
three red lights.

It was flying so low that many feared it was going to crash and cause a major catastrophe. At first, many
thought it was an aircraft in distress.

According to the Birmingham Mail , immediately after the incident, hundreds of residents took to social
media to report their experiences.

“My house was rumbling, and I'm still shaking. It was slow and it was huge.”

“Way too slow for fighter jets. It flew directly over our house, made a sharp left turn and
carried on.”

“It was stupidly loud. My heart is still pounding.”

“I heard it and thought that's low... thought it might have been a plane coming down... it
looked like one big thing with 3 lights, scared the **** outta me.”

“I heard it; very low and loud- sounding and seemed to last for about 3 mins. The dog went
mad.”

“It wasn't a fighter jet; way to big. Three red lights one at rear one on each wing. Usually
commercial planes have flashing lights but this just had three solid red lights. It could have
been a large military plane especially with such an unusual flight path, [sic]”

A paranormal investigator, Lee Brickley, described his experience on the Paranormal Cannock Chase
Blog as the UFO flew over the area. He described the noise as similar to the engine of an old World War
Two bomber.

“Before anything could be seen with the naked eye, there was a deep and very loud
droning. After around three minutes, the craft came into sight. It seemed incredibly large
and astonishingly low in the sky with three red lights that were easily noticeable. The UFO

travelled very slowly and many people thought it was about to crash.”

Beaudesert Old Park, Cannock Chase,
U.K.

Another journalist, Hannah Hiles,
agreed with Brickley that the
“thunderous noise” continued for
several minutes after the craft had
disappeared. She said the noise was
much more prolonged that the noise of
military jets.

Although some locals thought it was
likely an alien UFO flying over the
area, many thought it was more likely a
prototype of a secret military aircraft
under development. Others thought it
was possibly a military aircraft from the U.S. aircraft carrier that recently arrived off the coast of
Portsmouth.

Brickley ruled out the earlier explanation that it was an aircraft from a nearby airport in distress.

“I've checked online with flight tracking services, and have concluded it would be impossible
for this to have been a plane in trouble. There simply weren't any flights in the area at that
specific time. I also contacted Birmingham Airport to make sure, and they confirmed none of
the flights leaving or arriving at the airport experienced issues that would have led them to
fly so low.”

A spokesperson for the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA) said it was likely a drone, pointing
to the fact that several recent UFO alerts turned out to be drones.

The spokesperson, who thought it could also be a secret military aircraft undergoing testing, said, “I'm
sure it is something that can be explained. Whether it will be explained is another matter. There are so
many drones around.”

Both Brickley and the BUFORA spokesperson agreed that it would be difficult to rule out the possibility
that it was a secret military aircraft undergoing testing because that the military authorities tend to be
very reticent about issues involving their secret projects.

[Images: Wikimedia Commons]

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Cannock Chase

Hunterian Museum, London

atlasobscura.com

Hunterian Museum, London

The anatomical-pathological collection of a man who changed surgery

The Hunterian Museum has an amazing
anatomy and pathology collection,
amassed by John Hunter; anatomist,
obstetrician, doctor, and
dedicated collector of oddities
(1728-1793). Hunter had a
reputation as a bit of mad
scientist, and the idiosyncratic
collection reflects this.

The museum houses one of the
oldest collections of anatomical,
pathological and zoological
specimens in the UK. The
collection comprises more than
3,500 anatomical and

pathological
preparations,
fossils, paintings
and drawings.

One half of the
brain of the
famous
mathematician
Charles Babbage
is on display (the
other half is with
his Difference
Engine, at the

London Science Museum

Also in the collection are the Evelyn Tables, acquired from Italy
in 1646 by John Evelyn, a prolific diarist best known for his
detailed journals written during the Great Fire of London in
1666. The tables are wooden slabs of "mounted dry tissue"
displaying veins and arteries from dissections, and are the
earliest known anatomical preparations in Europe.

The surgical instruments carried by doomed Scottish explorer
Mungo Park are also in the collection.

However the specimen with the most interesting story is the
skeleton of 77" tall Charles Byrne, known as the Irish giant.
Byrne had requested to be buried as sea to prevent just such a
posthumous showing. Hunter, ever the determined doctor, managed to bribe the undertaker,
purchased the giant's body, boiled off the flesh in a giant cauldron, and articulated the huge
skeleton for display. In this case, Hunter definitely earned his mad scientist reputation.

John's older brother, also a noted physician, anatomist, and collector bequeathed his
belongings to the University of Glasgow, Scotland, forming the basis for the Hunterian
Museum, Glasgow.

• Hours

Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm. Free guided tour of the Museum every
Wednesday at 1pm. To book call 020 7869 6560.

• Website

o Hunterian Museum, Royal College of Surgeons

• Address

35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, Royal College of Surgeons, Greater London, England,
WC2A 3ED, United Kingdom

• Cost

Free, donation of 3BP appreciated.

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i survived a night at Hampton Court Palace with the ghosts and

ghouls express.co.uk

JAMES FIELDING braved the spooky corridors and tales of screaming ghosts to spend
a night at Henry Vlll’s old pad.

By James Fielding

PUBLISHED: 10:58, Sun, Mar 29, 2015

It was an ominous start to the
evening.

"So which part of Hampton Court
is supposed to be haunted?" I
asked Manuela Pessina, one of
the Royal palace's senior guides.

"All of it," she replied with a half
smile.

"But where you're sleeping is
perhaps the most active of all."

Like 59 other hardy souls I'd
agreed to bed down in one of Britain's spookiest spots, a building steeped in centuries of
bloody history.

By day Hampton Court in South-west London's leafy suburbia exudes a Wolf Hall-style charm
with its intricate courtyards and tranquil rolling parkland.

Lit up at night however, the famous T udor palace takes on a more sinister feel and once
inside, the dimly lit corridors and cold, echoey stone staircases do little to ease the tension.

As part of Hampton Court’s 500th anniversary celebrations Historic Royal Palaces invited 60
guests to a Dusk Til Dawn sleepover.

The £120-a-head tickets sold out within minutes with visitors flocking from as far as Norway
and the US.

My bed for the night would be a sleeping bag on the floor of the Cartoon Gallery just along
the landing from the aptly named Haunted Gallery.

As Manuela explained: "It's where we get a lot of sightings and unexplained phenomena and
it's a very, very spooky place, especially at night.

"To be honest though, everywhere in Hampton Court gives you chills when you are working
late.

"It's not uncommon for staff to report a feeling of being watched or having doors inexplicably
slam behind them when there's no one around.

"Smells too, you can sometimes pick up phantom scents. It's weird."

The Haunted Gallery is home to Hampton Court's most celebrated ghost, the wretched
spectre of Henry Vlll's fifth wife Catherine Howard. Four hundred and seventy three years
after being beheaded her troubled spirit reportedly runs down the corridor letting out a
bloodcurdling scream.

Before tales of the supernatural though, the assembled guests, some in fancy dress, enjoyed
a champagne reception with a jovial Cardinal Wolsey, the man responsible for much of the
development of the palace.

Later, we tucked into a slap-up Elizabethan dinner of beef stew and rice before being put
through our paces by William Shakespeare in the Great Hall and given the low-down on
Georgian dancing and etiquette, as well as salacious gossip and scandal of the era.

It was close to the witching hour when stories of the grand old palace sent a chill down the
spine.

Our costumed guide Christian led us through the midnight gloom with his trusty lantern,
regaling us with some of the lesser-known tales.

We heard of burly security guards being terrorised by poltergeists, of strange crashing and
banging sounds from behind locked doors and of cleaners finding a heavy chandelier
swinging of its own accord in the Guard Chamber.

Even more frightening was the story of the ghostly monk who stalked Henry Vlll's apartments.

Staff and guests have sighted a large hooded figure with a deformed face lurking in
doorways.

The tour took us to the normally roped-off grace and favour apartments on the top floor.

These spacious homes were given by the monarch in recognition of loyal service to crown or
country, with the last warrants being granted during the 1980s.

Most of the rooms are now used for storage, housing discarded magazines and shelves yet
some remain as a time warp to the period.

In one kitchen dated floral wallpaper and a 1970s cooker and grill provided a particularly eerie
backdrop to the ghostly tales.

Peering out of a window, our black-clad guide told us to look toward the Long Water, an
artificial lake illuminated by moonlight that runs eastward from the back of the palace.

In 1887 a three-year-old boy ran off and drowned in the lake, a tragedy that would later befall

a young girl in 1927 after she had gone to feed the ducks.

Fast forward 40 years and a four-year-old boy narrowly avoided the same fate, luckily being
rescued by a passer-by.

When asked by his mother why he had plunged into the icy water, he replied: "To play with
the other children."

With that spine-tingling tale it was time for bed, directly underneath the spot where the
devastating Hampton Court fire broke out in 1986. If that wasn't cause enough for nightmares
we were told that the historic building is also a breeding ground for the cardinal spider, the
biggest house spider in Britain.

However despite my initial fears the only thing that went bump in the night was me when I
tripped over my sleeping girlfriend en route to the toilet at 3am.

That's not to say the evening was entirely without mystery.

On looking back at a photograph I took of a privy I spotted a faint ghostly outline of a small
child.

Remembering the stir caused by "Skeletor", the pale-faced ghoul caught on CCTV in 2003, I
emailed the palace my image.

"It's most probably a trick of the light," came the reply.

Maybe, but in the dead of night Hampton Court is one of those places where your mind can
run amok.

To find out more visit hrp.org.uk/HAMPTONCOURTPALACE

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Article Last Updated: Wednesday, April 01, 2015 3:07pm

cortezjournal.com

If you kill Bigfoot, prepare to be prosecuted

A close-up of the

figure some
believe to be
Bigfoot was seen
across the Animas
River from the
Durango &
Silvetlon Narrow
Gauge Railroad in
2008. A podcast
that aired earlier
this month has
revived

speculation and
conversation about
whether the
creature really
exists.

If California-based paranormal experts do succeed in killing Bigfoot - the
possible Silverton resident - local law enforcement promises to throw the book
at them.

Earlier this month, the three hosts of "Paranormal Central" on Dark Matter
Radio set parts of the Internet alight when they determined a 2008
photograph - that allegedly captures Bigfoot cavorting in Silverton alongside
the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad - might be authentic.

"We don't think it's a kid with a hoodie and a skateboard," said host Jeff
Gonzales in a telephone interview Friday.

On the same radio broadcast, Gonzalez and fellow hosts Allen Thomas and
Danny Valderrama announced their intention to kill Bigfoot.

Since The Durango Herald published a story Wednesday about the podcast,
national media outlets published their own stories. Twitter erupted with
innumerable tweets about the veracity of the claims. And numerous others on
the Internet, such as the SasquatchChronicles.com, weighed in on why the
story and photo resurfaced after the 2008 sighting.

On Friday, Gonzalez said, "We're not ashamed to say it. We came out a few
years ago, saying, 'We need to shoot Bigfoot.'" To prove the existence of
Bigfoot, scientists will require a body. Then they'll be able to identify Bigfoot

DNA and go from there."

The assassination attempt could get financing. The Fox network picked up "Paranormal
Central," which soon will air on TV affiliates in California.

Gonzales said in the last 10 years, Bigfoot has been spotted at least eight times in Silverton.
In 2003, La Plata County resident Vi McCoy wrote a letter to the Herald claiming she saw
"Sasquatch" while she was riding the train. He is "a solid part of our history with so many
people witnessing his presence," she wrote.

"If you are fortunate enough to see this creature, be sure and share it with the newspaper.
'Much thanks to the creature - whomever he may be!"' McCoy wrote.

Local law-enforcement agencies warned that they would come down hard on anyone who
bumps Bigfoot.

San Juan County Undersheriff Steve Lowrance said, "As far as our statement on Bigfoot,
obviously, we can't discount the existence of such a creature in Silverton."

But, he said, if the people from "Paranormal Central" "do come here and kill Bigfoot,
definitely, well investigate, working closely with (Colorado Parks and Wildlife).

"We could bring conspiracy charges if there are enough people involved and they took
substantial steps in killing such a creature," he said.

Sixth Judicial District Attorney Todd Risberg said while offing Bigfoot would be a criminal act
as well as ethically reprehensible, he didn't yet know how he would charge such a slaying.

"If Bigfoot is a human, it would be murder. If Bigfoot is an animal, that might be more of a
Division of Wildlife question," he said. "I don't know what Bigfoot is."

Mark Esper, editor of The Silverton Standard, said bringing murder charges might be more
appropriate.

"There's a lot of people in Silverton who might be related to Bigfoot. We haven't done the
genetic testing yet," he deadpanned.

He said the federal government ought to be doing more to protect Bigfoot from hunters.

"Look - 1 don't have much of a stake in this. At the Standard, we're very proud of our Bigfoot
coverage - but Bigfoot doesn't subscribe or advertise," he said.

"This is prime Bigfoot habitat because of the climate. Given the threats, I don't think the
(Environmental Protection Agency) or the Bureau of Land Management is taking Bigfoot
protection seriously enough. A lot of people in Silverton want Bigfoot on the endangered
species list," he said.

In an email, Joe Lewandowski, spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said, "Instead of
'searching' for Bigfoot, these folks should make themselves a nice big bowl of popcorn, slip
into their footie jammies and watch the 1987 film 'Harry and the Hendersons.’ The movie will
give them everything they'll need for an enjoyable evening in the cozy environment of their
own homes."

Risberg offered the people at "Paranormal Central" graver advice.

"When I was a judge in Silverton years ago, a waiter used to run by the train in a monkey
suit," he said. Anybody planning an attempt on Bigfoot's life "better be careful what they're
shooting at."

cmcallister@ durangoherald.com

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If You're Looking For UFOs, This Map Might Drive You Crazy

Lee Speigel Become a fan

huffingtonpost.com

Posted: 04/04/2015 9:31 am EDT Updated: 04/04/201 5 8:59 pm EDT
The truth is out there -- and with the right roadmap, perhaps you can find it.

UFOs have been reported in every corner of the country. Of course, some spots are better than others,
if you want to see strange objects in the sky. But if you're hunting for a close encounter, this map may
only be a starting point to lead you in the right direction.

UFO Sighting Reports Per Capita | FindTheHome

"We downloaded UFO sightings from the National UFO Reporting Center and took all of the locations
and tried to standardize them," said Lane Allison, product manager of FindTheBest, a California-based
technology company that collects and interprets data.

The FindTheBest map, seen above, is an attempt to show one version of how UFO sightings -- those
that are reported — might look on a map. The researchers culled information from over 61,000 reports,
narrowing it down to nearly 39,000 reports from which they created their map visualization.

If you move your mouse across either version of the above interactive map -- UFO Sightings or UFO
Sightings Per Capita — everywhere the mouse lands will give you very detailed information about that
particular place in America.

But is that regional data enough to offer a map that shows accurate numbers and, therefore, reliable
clues as to how hot a UFO "hot spot" is?

"After we got latitude and longitude pairs, we could determine the number of UFO sightings that have
been reported in counties. Then, we cross-referenced that with the American Community Survey
population estimates of those counties, resulting in UFO reports per capita number," Allison told The
Fluffington Post.

One big problem with any map purporting to show accurate hot spots of UFO activity is that most people
simply don't bother reporting their UFO sightings.

This is a crucial factor in trying to collect valid information and, of course, maps of such data — including
various UFO shapes.

And then, of course, there are the large numbers of UFO hoaxes that create stumbling blocks for
researchers.

"We have almost 108,000 cases in our database, and approximately 10,000 of those have not been
posted on the website because they've been determined as most likely hoaxes and they don't really
contribute to the field of Ufology at all," said Peter Davenport, director of the National UFO Reporting
Center in Washington state.

Davenport's NUFORC was the source of information used by FindTheBest to create the UFO hotspot
map in this story. For those UFO spotters who want to report what they've witnessed, they can contact
the NUFORC 24-hour hotline. In fact, if you first call the Federal Aviation Administration to describe your
UFO encounter, they'll refer you to the NUFORC.

There are two very important factors when considering any UFO observations and subsequent analyses
of those events:

Most UFO sightings are easily explained.

"It's impossible for me or any other UFO investigator to separate the incoming cases into
definitely UFOs or definitely not UFOs," Davenport told HuffPost. "I would say 60 to 80
percent are cases where all you have is a question mark after you've read the case. Was it
a UFO or was it a seagull?"

Most UFO sightings aren't reported.

"The other problem is, all these cases of sighting reports are coming in from different
people. They have different standards, different quality vision, different abilities to write
clearly in English prose, and so on. Each report has come from a disparate source and that
makes comparing one case with another very difficult. Plus, there are so few reports. It's my
estimate — based on 21 years of full-time UFO investigation — that, out of somewhere
between 10,000 and 20,000 adult, competent, clear-thinking Americans who see something
that they believe almost certainly was a UFO, only one of them will ever submit a written
report. Very, very few people, I believe, who see a UFO, ever report it, and that makes our
data probably almost useless," said Davenport.

At FindTheBest, Allison acknowledges the difficulty in creating an accurate UFO map.

"What we learned through our research is that, in fact, most UFO sightings aren't actually reported, and
between 98-99 percent of those that are reported can be explained by natural phenomena, whether by
shooting stars or even a flock of birds. So we wanted to give more of a per capita [per person] number,
which is why we created the per capita statistics," she said.

Choose your UFO hotspot destination carefully and remember that just because there appears to be a
high concentration of reports from specific sections of the map -- the green-colored areas — it may be
that only one person reported something he or she couldn't explain in a particular region of the country.

Davenport has come up with an idea that might insure more accurate and efficient UFO hotspot maps in
the future: Detecting truly unexplained flying objects by using a system known as passive radar. If this
becomes reality, it could help researchers and scientists to distinguish between unknown UFOs and
known phenomena.

His very detailed proposal "is intended to convey a general concept to a non-technical community of
readers in the field of UFO research. Its principal purpose is to alert the UFO community to the fact that
new developments in passive, multi-static radar, and in related technologies, will permit, for the first time
in the history of Ufology, remote, real-time detection of UFOs in the near-Earth environment."

Now that would be something.

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Contact The Author

UFOs? Maybe They're Just...

• Pictured is a quad copter -- a deliberately manufactured UFO created by special effects wizard
Marc Dantonio for a National Geographic special, "The Truth Behind: UFOs," which aired in
December 2011. On the left is what the small device looks like resting on the ground, measuring 4
feet in circumference. At right, is how it appeared behind a tree in the night sky.

• These candle-lit Chinese lanterns can rise high into the sky and are often mistaken for UFOs.

• This is a composite of images shot by two eyewitnesses of a boomerang-shaped UFO they
reported seeing over their Burbank, Calif., home on Oct. 5, 2012. Mutual UFO Network
photo/video analyst Marc Dantonio concluded the object was likely "a balloon, floating on the wind
that has collapsed in half."

Marc Dantonio / FX Models /YouTube

• Amateur astronomer Allen Epling
captured video and images of a
cylindrical object in the sky above his
’ufo"-' Virgie, Ky., home on Oct. 16, 2012. This
2011 is one of the images he took, which led

More Chinese Lanterns, aka UFOs

Boomerar

UFO

composite
images -
10 - 5-12

Kentucky
UFO -
Oct. 16,
2012

many to believe the object was a high-flying solar balloon.

• Chinese or sky lanterns are often misidentified as UFOs. These three
were part of a large group of lanterns that was the main event of the 2013
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan on Feb. 24, 2013.

■ • This is a composite image of how three alleged UFOs

maneuvered about in the sky over Melbourne, Australia, in early
February, 2013. The final verdict isn't in yet on whether they're
birds, aircraft, balloons, bugs or something truly unidentified.

Sky

Lanterns
Mistaken
For UFOs

Metboum i
Australia,
Feb.
2013

• On Dec. 20, 2012, a bright, circular object {pictured at
the top of this composite image) was videotaped
exploding in the skies above Sacramento, Calif. It wasn't
E y/ eat her immediately identified, resulting in speculation that it was
Balloons, either an alien spacecraft, military top secret weapon,

Not runaway planet, North Korean satellite, among others.

Ul 0s Within a short period of time, it became apparent that this
was a weather balloon. The bottom part of this image shows such a balloon as it ascended over
Tampa Bay, Fla., on July 2, 2012, and exploded in an identical manner as the Sacramento object,
probably much to the dismay of all true ET believers out there.

Changing

• This four-image series of lights in the sky was recorded over Warren, Mich., on Jan. 10,
2013. The lights were seen changing into several patterns. The most logical explanation
for these types of UFOs is a series of balloons or lanterns.

Pattern -• This composite image shows four different times that alleged UFO were photographed
wanen, above Earth by either space shuttles or the International Space Station. The big question
M ?cfj 3 ' s w ^ ether or no * the y are truly unidentified objects or if they are more likely reflections
from spacecraft windows, meteors or fast-moving spacecraft-generated debris.

• What appear to be pink-red UFOs are actually lens flares from the Google Earth street view
camera as it snapped images in Texas (left) and New Mexico (right).

• These two flying saucer-shaped, pink-colored lens flares were created by the Google Maps
camera as it drove through locations in Sedona, Ariz. (left) and Flagstaff, Ariz. (right). The images
were snapped in April 2009. Submitted to FluffPost by trenna.

• This skybound lens flare was created by a Google Maps camera in June 2008 over Whiteriver,
Ariz. Submitted to Huffington Post by Cheryl Weeks.

• This very Earthbound lens flare was created by a Google Maps camera in November 2007 at
Gulfport, Miss. Submitted to Huffington Post by Jenni Parker.

• This seemingly grounded lens flare was created by a Google Maps camera in January 2008 at
Eureka Springs, Ark. Submitted to Huffington Post by SE.

• This lens flare appears to be following a car. The Google Maps image was created in October
2008 at Escanaba, Mich. Submitted to Huffington Post by Mary Robinson.

• On the night of Sept. 28, 2012, a group of strange-looking lights appeared in the sky near
Cincinnati, Ohio. First there was one, then, two, then three lights, slowly descending. It turns out,
however, that these lights were originating from a group of skydivers performing a pyrotechnics
jump at the La Salle High School homecoming event.

• Some UFO sightings may be due to a natural phenomenon known as sprites, like this one
shown from 2006. "Lightning from [a] thunderstorm excites the electric field above, producing a
flash of light called a sprite," said geophysicist Colin Price.

• Clouds: Saucer-shaped or "lenticular" clouds that form at hiqh altitudes have been confused with
UFOs.

• Blimps or advertising balloons: These can look like flying saucers from some angles, especially
at night.

• On June 19th the Swedish-based diving company Ocean Explorer discovered something they've
never quite seen before. They were exploring in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland
looking for sunken treasures when a very unusual image suddenly appeared on the sonar. A 197
feet diameter cylinder shaped object was discovered at the depth of approximately 275 feet which
resembles the Millennium Falcon from the movie Star Wars.

• An image released on June 15, 2012, shows a close-up view of the unidentified object sitting on
the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

• Close-up of rock bed that forms the Baltic Sea UFO, which still mystifies researchers.

• One of several odd stone circle formations, sitting on top of the unidentified object at the bottom
of the Baltic Sea.

• A circular UFO hovers above the Neumayer-Station III research facility in Antarctica on Aug. 10,
2012. Theories ranging from a simple weather balloon to a more elaborate ship from another
planet have run the Internet gamut. The next slide shows a closeup of the object.

• This is a closeup of the UFO from the previous slide. No official explanation has been offered
about the object.

• Meteors: Space debris can create a spectacular light show when it burns through the Earth's
atmosphere, and sometimes reported as UFOs.

• Civilian or military aircraft: Planes can look mysterious at night or in certain light conditions, thus
confusing an observer.

• Next

Manufactured UFO — 2011

Pictured is a quad copter — a deliberately manufactured UFO created by special effects wizard Marc
Dantoniofora National Geographic special, "The Truth Behind: UFOs," which aired in December 201 1 .
On the left is what the small device looks like resting on the ground, measuring 4 feet in circumference.
At right, is how it appeared behind a tree in the night sky.

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Is this bizarre black ring a UFO?

mirror.co.uk

. 11:56, 6 April 2015
• By Elle Griffiths

The footage of the strange phenomenon, filmed in Kazakhstan, has sparked countless UFO
rumours after being viewed thousands of times on YouTube

Eerie footage of a strange, black
ring floating in a clear blue sky
before vanishing into thin air has
sparked UFO rumours among
sky-watchers.

The sinister shape hovers
ominously above the village of
Shorthandy village, near Astana,
Kazakhstan, for several minutes
as shocked locals watch in
confusion.

It then disappears completely,
leaving no trace behind.

Residents spotted the mysterious

Mysterious: A black ring in the sky above
Kazakstan

The video has been viewed and shared
thousands of times on various sharing sites
with users all speculating as to what could
have caused the spooky sight.

While some are convinced the shape is a
UFO and proof of extra-terrestrial life, others
are slightly more sceptical, saying it could be
the result of cigarette smoke.

The clip has been watched on YouTube
almost 50,000 times.

One viewer wrote: "A vortex ring or smoke
ring can be formed in the atmosphere by a rising (falling) mass of warm (cold) air, which is also called a
thermal (microburst).

"It could have been artificially created as well."

phenomenon on Saturday morning.

Rus NewsTV / You Tube

Creepy black ring UFO appears then vanishes over Kazakhstan

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Is WiFi a Government-Controlled Weapon That's Slowly Giving
Us Cancer?

gawker.com

Aleksander Chan
Filed to: Illuminati Month

. WiFi

• The Internet
4/03/15 3:34pm

You are, in all likelihood, reading
this post on a wireless internet-
connected device — a computer, a
phone, a tablet. Think about the
last time you used (or wanted to
use) a wired internet connection;
now think about how long you've
been slowly poisoning yourself
with WiFi's ovary-killing, tumor-
inducing radiation.

For as long as WiFi has
connected our laptops to the
web, people have worried that the technology is just too good to be true, and if it seems too
good to be true, it probably is. "Proof that WiFi is slowly poisoning us is everywhere on the
internet. But theories about the dangers of wireless internet appear to coalesce around the
fact that WiFi utilizes the same radio band frequency (2.4 GHz) as microwave ovens.

Except we don't necessarily worry about microwaves, or other devices that operate around
the same point on the electromagnetic spectrum (baby monitors, cell phones) as WiFi. A
2006 report from the World Health Organization states there is "no convincing scientific
evidence" that the radiofrequency signals emitted by WiFi routers present any genuine threat
to our health. And we're all apparently being blasted with stronger radiofrequency waves from
radio and television anyway:

In fact, due to their lower frequency, at similar RF exposure levels, the body

This reminds me of an old National Geographic photo with the caption; this boy is receiving
over lOOx as much harmful radiation from the sun than from the nuclear plant down the
street.

It's awesome that most people's understanding of radiation comes from Marvel Comics.

Rev Les CrowleyProfessional Chair Tester
4/03/15 6:16pm

If they were getting their understanding from comics, they'd WANT radiation, to develop super
powers.

RyRyBeardGuyAleksander Chan
4/03/15 3:53pm

I wish people would actually look stuff up before believing this. No, it won't give you cancer.
The radiation from our wireless devices and microwave ovens (unless you're IN the
microwave oven) isn't powerful enough to damage your DNA, which is how radiation causes
cancer.

BAM5RyRyBeardGuy
4/03/15 3:57pm

Not only is it not powerful enough, but it's not even the right frequency. Even being in a
microwave oven won't give you cancer. You'll just suffer severe burns and eventually the
water inside you will boil and your head might explode.

WiFi is just fine.

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absorbs up to five times more of the signal from FM radio and television than from
base stations. This is because the frequencies used in FM radio (around 100
MHz) and in TV broadcasting (around 300 to 400 MHz) are lower than those
employed in mobile telephony (900 MHz and 1800 MHz) and because a person's
height makes the body an efficient receiving antenna. Further, radio and television
broadcast stations have been in operation for the past 50 or more years without
any adverse health consequence being established.

However! According to some obsessive corner of the internet, there are some facets of WiFi
radiation we are not considering.

There's this piece by Mark Gibbs for Network World. It contains the incredible subhead,

"What would it take to get you to stop using cellphones and WiFi completely? How about the
threat of cancer against children?" Now you're listening.

Gibbs' piece is pegged to a (dubious) study published in the Journal of Microscopy and
Ultrastructure, which postulates that children and their thinner, developing skulls, are
susceptible to WiFi’s radiation in ways adults and their developed, thick skulls aren't. WiFi
could be baking cancer into your infant's brain right now, only to surface years later.

"Because the average latency time between first exposure and diagnosis of a tumor can be
decades," the study's authors warn, "tumors induced in children may not be diagnosed until
well into adulthood."

That study and Gibbs' post, both published last year — along with a swath of other alarmist
articles swimming around online — piggyback on a 201 1 study conducted by the International
Agency for Research on Cancer and WHO that classified the radiofrequency magnetic fields
emitted by wireless devices, including WiFi base stations, as "possibly carcinogenic to
humans," or a group 2B carcinogen. That doesn't sound good, though it's likely not as bad as
it would seem. The study focused on cell phone use:

The evidence was reviewed critically, and overall evaluated as being Iimited2
among users of wireless telephones for glioma and acoustic neuroma, and
inadequate3 to draw conclusions for other types of cancers. The evidence from
the occupational and environmental exposures mentioned above was similarly
judged inadequate. The Working Group did not quantitate the risk; however, one
study of past cell phone use (up to the year 2004), showed a 40% increased risk
for gliomas in the highest category of heavy users (reported average: 30 minutes
per day over a 10-year period).

WiFi's latent potential for harm has manifested in two ostensibly signal-boosting studies of
admittedly questionable provenance. The first concerns the work of British physicist Barrie
T rower, an alleged former microwave technology and warfare expert for the Royal Navy and
British Secret Service, who authored a 2013 report that boldly claims, based on the
statements of "University Researchers, Government Scientists and International Scientific
Advisors," that "a minimum of 57.7% of schoolgirls exposed to low-level microwave radiation
(WiFi) are at risk of suffering stillbirth, foetal abnormalities or genetically damaged children,

Men, you are also in danger: In 2011, Conrado Avendano, the research director of Nascentis
Reproductive Medical Centre in Cordoba, apparently led "the first scientific study showing
that a laptop computer connected by WiFi may damage DNA and decrease sperm mobility in
only four hours." (Four hours! Think how many hours you've spent with you laptop. ..in your

lap.)

The second study involves an experiment conducted by a group of 15-year-old Danish
students in 2013. The students placed six trays of watercress seedlings in two rooms: one
with WiFi routers placed right next to the plants, the other without. After 12 days in their
respective rooms, the seedlings sharing space with the WiFi routers "turned brown and died."

Those students were apparently inspired, ABC News reports, after they started "noticing that
when they slept with their cellphones near their heads overnight, they had trouble focusing
the next day." A biology teacher at the school, Kim Horsevad, also defended the students'
study against critics who charged that the watercress seeds that died were probably dried out
by the WiFi routers' heat. She claims that students kept both sets of plants "sufficiently moist
during the whole experiment, and the temperatures were controlled thermostatically."

The following set of photos apparently depict the very watercress seedlings mentioned in the
experiment:

That's your brain on WiFi. Doesn't look good.

But that study was really just a riff on a popular 2010
experiment conducted at Wageningen University, where
researchers sought to find the effects WiFi radiation might
have on trees. From Popular Science:

To test the hypothesis that the mystery illness was
caused by radiation poisoning, the researchers took 20
ash trees and exposed them to various kinds of
radiation for three months. Sure enough, the ash trees
exposed to Wi-Fi signals showed telltale signs of
radiation sickness, including a "lead-like shine" on their
leaves, indicating the oncoming death of those leaves. In the Netherlands, a
whopping 70% of urban trees are suffering from radiation poisoning, up from only
10% five years ago — understandable, considering the explosion in Wi-Fi use in
the past five years.

But what about people? Have there been any reports of human beings being affected by WiFi
radiation? Yes. ..sort of. There's a "condition" called Electro Hypersensitivity Syndrome. In
2013, the Guardian wrote about the travails of Tim Hallam, who had lined the floors and walls
of his bedroom in Leamington Spa in England with aluminum to repel wireless signals, which
he claims caused him unbearable headaches and pain. His bed was covered "with a
glistening silver mosquito net." (This is in line with the idea that if you cover your head in
tinfoil you can prevent aliens from controlling your brain.)

Dr. James Rubin, of King's College Institute of Psychiatry, does not necessarily believe EHS
to be "real," exactly, but he does liken the supposed condition to a "idiopathic environmental
intolerance" — or like a food allergy, with no explicit cause. He also authored a paper

suggesting the condition is psychosomatic. "The suffering is very real — I don't doubt that —
and I take it very seriously," he told the Guardian. "But we've spent millions on the research
and the time comes when you have to say, in the future the money would be better spent on
looking for effective treatments, rather than chasing a cause."

Hallam's "condition" is an extension of the fear induced by RobertO. Becker, the orthopedic
surgeon and electromedicine researcher who appeared on 60 Minutes in the 1960s to warn
against pylon radiation and apparently "became the face" for the case against humans living
near power plants. Becker's former lab partner, Professor Andrew Marino, of Louisiana State
University, though, seems more convinced that EHS could be real, because guess what? All
of the scientific papers written on the syndrome (only 50) "were funded by the
telecommunications industry."

But of course (of course!), all these theories, all these experiments and studies that have
failed to take hold in modern thought, trace back to a long-con plot to suppress the voices of
opposition to a dark truth: that WiFi is a weapon devised by the U.S. government.

Writer Jamie Lee writes about this Big Lie in rambling, seemingly unedited detail in Waking
Times. "The U.S. Navy has known for decades, since at least 1976, of the significant inherent
dangers in using Wifi but have only summarized the results in military terms of 'who can we
harm' and 'can we be attacked'," Lee writes, citing this Wordpress blog that no longer
appears to exist. "The Telecom Industry buried the effects by claiming that only heat can
causes problems with wifi, when in fact study after study after study has shown that it is the
low wave, pulsed, non-ionized radiation used in RF and Microwave lengths that is disrupting
our systems at the molecular level."

Indeed, this silent, digital acid rain soaking us at nearly every moment of the day goes all the
way to the top, as documented in chilling detail by "Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars," a very,
very long manifesto allegedly discovered by a Boeing employee in 1986 inside an IBM printer
he purchased to sell for parts that "details of a plan, hatched in the embryonic days of the
'Cold War' which called for control of the masses through manipulation of industry, peoples'
pastimes, education and political leanings." (You can read the document, "in its virgin form,
with diagrams" here.)

So what can you do to save yourself from this wireless menace? Lee suggests hiring, "for a
couple hundred bucks," an expert in EMF to "come and do a reading at your home and office
and check your home wiring, which also emits radiated energy, often right next to our beds
where we sleep." (When I did a Yelp search for "EMF expert" and "EMF" in New York City,
the only usable result returned to me was fora man named Will LeStrange, a so-called "Feng
Shui Consultant." His website looks fake.)

And since there are significant financial, legal, and time barriers to lining the walls and floors
of your home (or even just a room) with aluminum, you could invest in an EMF meter. There
are some on Amazon, including one that apparently detects ghosts that's only $19.10 and is
eligbile for free two-day shipping for Prime members. Here's a video of a guy using a EMF

Crazy stuff.

Or, as I expect many others to do, and will do so myself, take solace in willful ignorance.
Maybe WiFi is poisoning us. Maybe we're all growing tumors and our grandchildren will have
tumors and everyone's brains will bleed out their ears one day. Whatever, man. I am never
plugging in my laptop or my phone to connect to the internet ever again if I don't have to, just
like I'm going to keep guzzling diet soda and stirring fake sugar into my coffee and sitting all
day and shooting myself up with modern medicine. Join me.

Image by Jim Cooke, photos via Shutterstock. Contact the author at aleksander@gawker.com .

All replies

deanmartinsrectalpolypsAleksander Chan
4/03/15 5:34pm

So I'm sitting here, smoking a cigarette, drinking my McDonald's coffee with homogenized
and pasteurized milk in it, after just eating a bag of kettle cooked chips and a plane just flew
by overhead leaving a very nice chemtrail. But my laptop is plugged in, so I'm good, right?

Deadly the Eternaldeanmartinsrectalpolyps
4/03/15 6:08pm

You also heated up your burger in a microwave, right?

deanmartinsrectalpolypsDeadly the Eternal
4/03/15 6:12pm

Yes, but it doesn't work as well since the glass on the door broke.

bumpdatdeanmartinsrectalpolyps
4/03/15 6:15pm

Yes. You need all your bad things to be in constant counter-action against each other. This
cancels out all the bads. Be sure to add in some high fructose corn syrup and GMO corn chip
servings daily. Preferably right before bed. ;)

deanmartinsrectalpolypsbumpdat
4/03/15 6:20pm

I knew I should've gotten the Fritos instead of the kettle cooked.

toothpetardAleksander Chan
4/03/15 3:45pm

It was fun sitting around the other day with an RF field meter watching the needle tick as all
the gadgets conferred.

But really:

levarientoothpetard
4/03/15 3:55pm

get your space blankets and mailboxes ready

Tommy Hellfiretoothpetard
4/03/15 4:01pm

While I dismiss the notion that cell phone radiation is harmful (as most phones comply with
the current standard of being under 1.6W/kg and radio waves have the lowest energy
possible on the spectrum) I cannot safely speak to the effects of Diet Coke radiation on the
body.

toothpetardTommy Hellfire
4/03/15 4:09pm

It's emitted by the flavor crystals.

[CFK] Tender Vittlestoothpetard
4/03/15 4:16pm

You mean it wasn't really the needle ticking, you just had the jitters from injecting copious
amounts of coke into your body? I'm having difficulty understanding that picture otherwise.

Cam/ronAleksander Chan
4/03/15 4:20pm

In my community, a large group of neighbors managed to stop a cellular tower from being
built in their local park due to wifi cancer fears. An anti-Common Core activist is now trying to
convince the local school board to stop schools from using Chromebooks for CC testing since
she insists the kids will get wifi cancer.

It reminds me of Tom Wolfe's quote about modern art: "It's not 'seeing is believing,' you ninny.
It's 'believing is seeing.'"

I Started SomethingCam/ron

4/03/15 5:08pm

Ugh, we have a woman that comes to every single Board of Supervisors meeting to talk
about the evils of wifi. She constantly says "Even right now, being in this building is giving me
severe headaches, etc" - then why you in our building every single day lady? She's also the
type of woman to go up to strangers in the supermarket to lecture them on letting their
kid/baby play with a cell phone for a few minutes. She's a former teacher, very sincere in her
beliefs, very concerned about "the children", and absolutely batshit crazy.

senilezombiegrouchomarxCam/ron
4/03/15 5:39pm

We have a similar problem in Los Angeles:
http://www.latimes.com/local/countygo...

Essentially, the city wants to erect cell towers near fire stations to improve communications in
the event of a disaster. Sounds like an all-round good idea, especially in a metropolitan area
of 20 million that sits on top of a network of faults ready to go berserk, the geological
equivalent of two horny teens just itching to grind up against each other.

They've taken years to finally get the project going and now the firefighters union has decided
to fight the towers, even though we know that the effects of cell-phone towers on human
health is either non-existent or so negligible that it is more likely the tower will kill them by
crashing into the station.

This is a project that could save hundreds of lives in the event of a severe earthquake, but
now the whole project is in jeopardy because of pseudo-scientific fear mongering.

kelmeisterCam/ron
4/03/15 6:40pm

My aunt has been refusing the installation of smart gas meters in her condo's back patio
because she believes they’ll give her cancer. I tried to explain that the wifi she uses in her
house for her computer is the same thing, but she wouldn't hear it.

rumpleforeskinl Started Something
4/03/15 8:15pm

Next time she disrupts your Board of Supervisors meeting, quietly take her in a back room
and shove an electronic dildo (not a battery-operated one) in and out of her asshole for about
10 minutes; when you're through tell her you'll see her next meeting. ...if she survives!

PunkUnrepentantAleksander Chan
4/04/15 8:28am

As someone who's been addicted to fiction, films and/or alternate histories and futures of
various kinds of dystopia, something like this:

'...a future where a large segment of the population is hobbled by WiFi-induced birth
defects...'

makes me so want to read a book or watch a film depicting just that.

AsuranDreamsPunkUnrepentant
4/04/15 1:39pm

I offer you one better! Imagine a world where 5G cellular networks turned humans into
ZOMBIES! Now imagine a docu-series pretending to be a reality show pretending to be too
serious for it's own good made by BBC!

I give you / Suivived A Zombie Apocalypse ! (episodes may be watched on YouTube):

P.S. - It's quite enjoyable to watch actually. The best I can describe it is if Survivor, Big
Brother and The Walking Dead had an orgy and produced a franken-series love child.

RemrsoAleksander Chan
4/03/15 6:59pm

Asking me to choose between no Wifi or Cancer is cruel

PumpkinSpiesRemrso
4/03/15 7:40pm

You might as well have wifi. Something is going to give you cancer, anyway.

Tommy HellfireAleksander Chan
4/03/15 3:56pm

Electro sensitivity is a real thing if conveniently you need to be

Cmdr Kang's Crab ShackAleksander Chan
4/03/15 4:33pm

Think about the last time you used (or wanted to use) a wired internet connection

Every weekday between 8am and 5pm at work, and every set-top streaming device at home.

Dave PriceAleksander Chan
4/03/15 4:15pm

There are some on Amazon, including one that apparently detects ghosts that's
only $19.10

Well now I just feel stupid that I bought one that didn't detect ghosts.

Professional Chair TesterAleksander Chan
4/03/15 4:57pm

Is Your House Haunted? Or Just Dirty?

HuffPost | By Buck Wolf huffingtonpost.com

If You’re Looking For UFOs, This Map Might Drive You Crazy
Posted: 04/05/2015 1 1 :47 am EDT Updated: 04/05/2015 1 1 :59 am EDT

Put away the Ouija board and take out the Pledge.

Ghostbusters at Clarkson University in New York are investigating the link between
indoor air quality and ghostly sightings, according to Medical Daily. They say toxic
mold can trigger psychosis and that might cause you to see and hear things that go
bump in the night.

The more sensitive you are to mold, the more likely you may think you're up
against a poltergeist, the website reports.

“Hauntings are very widely reported phenomena that are not well-researched,”
says Clarkson engineering professor Shane Rogers, according to the university’s
website.

"[The ghost sightings] are often reported in older-built structures that may also
suffer poor air quality," Rogers says.

"Similarly, some people have reported depression, anxiety and other effects from
exposure to biological pollutants in indoor air. We are trying to determine whether
some reported hauntings may be linked to specific pollutants found in indoor air."

Rogers describes himself as a "longtime fan of ghost stories," and that he doesn’t
see himself as a paranormal debunker.

"What I do hope is that we can provide some real clues as to what may lead to
some of these phenomena and possibly help people in the process."

Rogers’ team of undergraduate students plan to measure air quality in several
haunted locations in upstate New York, including the Frederic Remington Art
Museum in Ogdensburg, N.Y. The museum is the former home of Madame
Vespucci, and, according to Haunted Places, her voice can be heard echoing from
the museum's upper level at night.

If they come back alive, they plan to publish the results of their finding.

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Contact The Author

Also on Huff Post:

Courtesy of Fortean Picture Library

• In 1916, retired Scotland Yard
Inspector Arthur Springer took this
picture in Tingewick, Buckingham,
England. At the moment he captured
the photograph, there was reportedly
no dog in the frame at all.

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sky.com

Japan's Defence Chief Reveals UFO Details

The country’s defence minister is forced to make an official statement that all
UFO’s seen by its air force are not from space.

11:15, UK, Thursday 02 April 2015

The Japanese
government has
confirmed that it has not
encountered alien space
craft in its country’s
airspace.

The country’s defence
minister told
parliamentarians that
Japan’s air force had been
scrambled over
unidentified flying objects
several times but none

had turned out to be anything other than terrestrial.

General Nakatani made the statement after being questioned about the possibility
that beings from outer space had ever tried to invade Japan.

He said: "When the Air Self-Defense Force detects indications of an unidentified
flying object that could violate our country’s airspace, it scrambles fighter jets if
necessary and makes visual observation.

"They sometimes find birds or flying objects other than aircraft but I don’t know of a
case of finding an unidentified flying object believed to have come from anywhere
other than Earth."

The General, a sober politician with a reputation for thoroughly understanding his
brief, was responding to a question from wrestler-turned-politician Antonio Inoki.

At a meeting of the budget committee in the Japanese parliament’s upper house on
Wednesday, Inoki asked whether aircraft had been sent to meet extra-terrestrial
visitors and if "studies (into them) are going on".

Mr Inoki said he did not know whether aliens existed or not, but he had once seen

a mysterious flying object shoot into the air on the horizon and disappear.

Wednesday’s reply was not the first time the Japanese government has made a
comment on aliens and the spaceships they travel in.

A statement in 2007 said the government "has not confirmed the existence of
unidentified flying objects believed to have come from anywhere other than Earth".

But the statement, formally endorsed by the cabinet at the time, prompted senior
officials to make surprising admissions.

Nobutaka Machimura, chief cabinet secretary, said afterwards: "Personally, I
absolutely believe they exist."

Then-defence minister Shigeru Ishiba added that in his personal opinion there
were "no grounds" to deny that there are UFOs controlled by alien life-forms.

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Juan Flaco - California's Paul Revere.

Juan Flaco's feat remains one of the truly great sagas of American history. He
rode 52 hours to carry a message for help for the Los Angeles garrison, covering

more than 400 miles.

Captain Archibald Gillespie, commander of Fort Hill at Los Angeles, looked
around at his depleted garrison of fifty men, then down at the paper in his hand.
"September 23, 1846," he read aloud. "Captain Gillespie, you are hereby ordered
to surrender the fort within twenty-four hours, or you and your men will all be
killed. Signed, Jose Maria Flores, Commander of the Mexican Military Forces at
Los Angeles."

Gillespie glanced up at his men, and a grin spread from his thin lips to his keen
gray eyes. "Men, you have heard the ultimatum, but we are Americans - we
don't surrender while there is yet hope. Man your posts!”

As the men filed out of the tiny enclosure, the Captain called out, "John
Brown . . . Juan Flaco, wait . . ." He laid his hand on the shoulder of the tall, lean
young man. "I've got a job for you, John, a hard one. It's your privilege to
refuse."

The tall, angular boy with the bronzed face and the soft brown eyes turned. "I
won't refuse, sir," he said softly.

"It's this. We're outnumbered by the Mexicans more than ten to one. Our
situation is desperate - to put it mildly. Our only hope is to get help from
outside, from Monterey. I want you to ride to Monterey to inform Commodore
Stockton of our plight. Now, get some rest, and report to me just before
daylight."

The next morning, shortly after three o'clock, Juan Flaco - "Lean John," so called
because of his long, sparse frame, saluted briskly. "I'm ready, Captain Gillespie."

"Good," and he took out a cigarette paper on which were scrawled three words.
"Here's the message - hide it well."

Flaco rolled the message into a tiny pellet, hid it in his long hair, as the Captain
went on. "It's more than four hundred miles to Monterey. The county's
dangerous, full of Mexicans, and almost worse, Indians. The Mexicans know
that a desperate war is being fought for the possession of California. Give them
a wide berth. Now, goodbye!" The two men shook hands. "And good luck . . ."

Juan Flaco mounted his horse, and under cover of darkness rode out of the fort,
down the hill, heading due north, towards Monterey, but alert Mexican
sentinels, posted around the fort, spotted the lone rider, bent low over his
horse's head, and gave pursuit.

Juan dug in the spurs, galloping toward the shelter of a long line of willows, the

Mexicans fired once, twice. Blood spurted from a wound in his horse's shoulder,
but still he galloped on, ears laid back, his nose pointing ever northward. Up
ahead, Flaco saw a thirteen foot ditch. Could the horse make it? Flaco held his
breath, dug the spurs hard, and the valiant animal jumped - and cleared the
ditch. Flaco breathed a long sigh of relief, but he knew his horse's strength, and
he knew too that no horse could keep up this fearful pace with a bullet in his
shoulder.

Flaco turned, looked back. In the graying dawn, he saw that his pursuers had
turned back, were giving up the chase. Now his horse was slowing; now he
could scarcely put one foot in front of the other; now he stopped and fell to the
ground, dead.

Young Flaco stared about him at the deserted September landscape. There was
no house, no sign of habitation as far as he could see. He started walking, always
due north.

The sun came up, blazing hot on a cloudless day, but still the youth never once
slackened the killing pace. He never rested, never hesitated. He knew the trail
well, had covered it often, and he kept his clear brown eyes fixed on that
northward trail.

He walked twenty-seven miles before he spied a young man - an American, by
the looks of him - on the trail ahead. He shouted, and the young man halted for
a talk. His name was Tom Lewis and he had not heard that the Mexicans had
surrounded Los Angeles, had demanded the surrender of Captain Gillespie and
his garrison. He'd just go along with Juan Flaco, if Flaco didn't mind. No, of
course not. Flaco was glad to have a companion, just in case some Mexicans or
Indians happened along.

It was midnight the next day when the two boys entered the straggling mission
settlement of Santa Barbara. They stopped for only an hour, just long enough to
rent some horses and stock up on food. Then they were off, galloping towards
Monterey.

The following day they reached the Mission of San Luis Rey. Young Lewis was
all done in. "You'll have to go it alone, Flaco. Good luck . . .:

And Flaco galloped on alone, all that day, and till midnight of the next, before he
finally reached Monterey. "I want to see Commodore Stockton,” he told the
livery stable owner.

"Sorry. He's gone to San Francisco."

Flaco stared about him. "Then I'll see the ranking officer." He rode over to the
post, talked to the officers there, and explained the urgency of his mission. They
supplied him with the fastest horse at the post and bade him God-speed.

Now mounted on a race horse, Flaco blinked the sleep and dust from his red-
rimmed eyes, and again headed north. At San Jose, he stopped only long
enough to change horses and to talk with Thomas Larkin, the first and only
American consul ever stationed on American soil. Then, mounted on a fresh
horse, Flaco started his last lap. He reached San Francisco that evening, a little
over four days after he had left Los Angeles, five hundred miles away.

He stood straight, tall, and leaner than ever before, before Commodore
Stockton. He took out the message and the officer read it. "Believe the bearer."
That was all.

In a few words he told the story of General Flores' demands, the plight of the
beleagured garrison, the need for urgency. "If indeed it is not already too late to
save the fort and our men," he added at last. "Fifty against more than five
hundred. It is impossible that they could hold out so long . . ."

At once Stockton ordered Captain Mervine to set sail for San Pedro with three
hundred and fifty men. Fremont made ready to proceed southward at the head
of a battalion.

But they were too late. Gillespie and his gallant men held out for a week, then
were forced by lack of powder and food to surrender. The Californians treated
them with marked generosity and courtesy, even allowing them to march out of
town quietly toward San Pedro, where they boarded a ship for Monterey.

In the meantime, General Kearny and his men, traveling overland from Santa
Fe, were suffering from the heat and near starvation. At San Pasqual, they were
attacked by General Andrew Pico, and routed, with eighteen men killed and
many more, including Kearny, badly wounded.

The situation of the Americans was desperate. Kearny sent a message to
Commodore Stockton, who, by now, had reached San Diego, and he, in turn,
dispatched 200 men, chiefly marines and seamen, to the rescue. Then, with
Kearny and his men safely in San Diego, he made plans to recapture Los
Angeles.

The two commanders joined forces, marched overland as far as the San Gabriel
River, where on January 8, 1847, they met the enemy and defeated them. On
the following day, the last battle of the war in California was fought, the Battle of
La Mesa, and the Californians, having suffered cruel losses, left the field and
scattered in all directions.

It was on January 10 that the Americans entered the City of the Angels, marched
up the street to the Plaza, and Captain Gillespie hoisted the American flag on the
government house - the same flag which he had hauled down in September,
shortly after Juan Flaco had left on his famous ride northward to Monterey.

To this day, Juan Flaco's feat remains one of the great sagas of American

history. He rode fifty-two hours to cover more than four hundred miles, and not
once did he stop to rest or to sleep, but only to change mounts or to snatch a bite
to eat. Moreover, the entire route lay through dangerous territory, infested with
wild animals, Indians and enemy Mexicans. In places, the trail was unmarked:
water was scarce, often unobtainable, and the weather was scorching hot. Yet
young Flaco finished his gruelling mission without injury and in fine physical
condition. Surely this young man is worthy of a larger niche in history than he is
now accorded. He deserves to be placed in the American Hall of Fame beside
such well-known heroes as Fremont, Stockton, Jefferson, and Paul Revere,
whose spirit and courage he so faithfully emulated.

Krubera Cave - World’s Deepest Cave | When On Earth - For

People Who Love Travel whenonearth.net

Positioned in the Abkhazia region of Georgia, Krubera Cave is the deepest cave that is
known on earth. Also known as Voronya or Voronja Cave, it can be found in the heart of the
Arabika Massif, a very massive group of high-mountain limestone karst massif of the
Gagrinsky Range.

Location

The Arabika Massif, where you
will find the Krubera Cave, is
composed of limestone was
formed eon years ago. This
massif, which is separated from
the neighboring Bzybsky Massif
by the Bzybsky River, ranks
among the biggest high-
mountain limestone karst
massifs in the Western
Caucasus region. It is bordered
in the southwest by the Black
Sea and in the northwest to the east by Sandripsh, Kutushara, Gega and Bzyb river canyons.
Krubera Cave can be found in the Ortobalagan Valley, a shallow and perfectly-shaped sub-
Caucasian glacial trough.

History and Naming

The numerous caves underneath
the Arabika Massif started to form
several millions of year ago when
the mountains began to rise. What
came to be named Krubera Cave
was discovered in 1960 when L.
Maruashvili led other Georgian
speleologists to explore the cave.
Decision was made to name the
cave after Russian geologist
Alexander Kruber, who had carried
out some field studies in the Arabika
area about four decades earlier. The exploration was, however, abandoned after the
speleologists got to a depth of 95 meters due to passages that were too narrow and hard to
negotiate. Except for occasional visits by cavers, Krubera Cave was virtually abandoned for
the next two decades.

The Alexander Klimchuk-headed Kiev
Speleological Club kicked off serious
exploration again in 1980. With
attention set on the Ortobalagan Valley,
this club and several others were able
to discover many caves, including five
exceeding 1,000m. Before their efforts,
there had been no caves exceeding a
depth of 310 meters. Exploration has
since then revealed the deepest cave
anywhere on the face of the earth. It
was during the 1980s that the cave
started to be known in Russian as
“Voronya” Cave, which means Crows’
Cave. This name came about because of the many crows that the speleologists saw in the
entrance pit.

The World’s Deepest Cave

Krubera Cave branches into two at a depth of
200 meters. One of these branches,
Kuybyshevskaya, has been explored to a
depth of 1,293 meters, while the main branch
has been explored further deep down. It was
in 2001 that Krubera Cave attained the status
of the deepest cave in the world. The
Ukrainian Speleological Association was able
to reach a depth of 1,710 meters into the
cave in that year, thereby supplanting
Lamprechtsofen cave in the Austrian Alps as
the deepest.

Photo Source : The Mystery World

Still unsatisfied, the Ukrainian body probed
further and soon surpassed a depth of 2,000
meters into the cave, reaching 2,080 meters.
But the speleologists soon started to face
difficulty with flooded tunnels that are known
as “sumps.” Diving then had to be done 52
meters into the terminal sump to bring the
overall depth to 2,197 meters in 2012. At that
depth, Krubera Cave is not surpassed by any
other in the world.

Krubera Cave is a great place for all those in
need of adventure that has to do with going
as deep as possible into the center of the

earth. It is not only for the researchers or
speleologists, but for anyone daring
enough to go to that great depth. The
Ukrainian Speleological Association
considers the exploration of the cave an
ongoing one. The association extended
invitation to cavers to signify interest in
taking part in its “Call of the Abyss”
mission in 2013. This Arabika Massif
cave offers you the opportunity for real,
adrenaline pumping action as you head
into the deep.

We know what's cool around
the world! From weird
restaurants, to picturesque
beaches, to clever gear you
should probably pack -
we've got you covered.

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Photo Source : Abkhaz World

Lamb born with face like an 'angry old man' avoids the chop

mirror.co.uk

• 12:27, 30 March 2015

• By Sam Adams

Proud owner Blasius Lavrentiev's shock soon turned to delight after he was offered 10
times the normal price for her

A lamb born with a face 'like an angry old man with a big nose' has avoided the chop after a
circus made an offer for her.

Proud owner Blasius Lavrentiev's shock soon turned to delight after he was already offered
10 times the normal price for her.

Sheep farmer Lavrentiev, 45, from the village of Chirka close to the Republic of Dagestan in
south-western Russia, had been waiting all week for his prized ewe to give birth.

CEN

Deformity: A vet said the lamb's
deformity may have been caused by
too much vitamin A in its mother’s diet

He said: "We had quite a tough winter
and when I noticed she was pregnant I
was delighted as it meant I would be
able to sell the lambs and start making
some money again.

"But when I went down to see how it
was going I nearly died from shock
when I saw what looked like the hairy
face of an old man staring up at me.

"Her parents are both normal looking sheep so I have no idea how she ended up looking like
this.”

Now the human-faced lamb has become the talk of the village.

'Beauty': The farmer said described the lamb as a "little beauty"

Neighbour Dementi Galkin, 65, said: "I’ve seen some weird stuff in my time, but nothing like
this.

"She looks like an angry old man with a big nose."

Villager Dana Mishina, 56, said: "She is both freaky and sweet.

"I don’t know what to make of it really. But she terrifies my grandchildren."

CEN

Looks: He said she looks like "an angry old man with a big nose"

Local vet Dorofei Gavrilov, 49, said: "From what we can make out the anomaly is the result of
the farmer giving the lamb’s mother too much vitamin A.

Proud owner Lavrentiev however has found his shock turn to delight after he was already
offered 10 times the normal price - from a local circus - and several other enquiries have also
come in since then.

He said: "Whatever has caused it she’s a little beauty and I definitely won’t be selling her for
anyone’s dinner table either as the buyers want her on display.

"She’ll be staying with us until then."

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Life after Death - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

by admin • February 19, 2015

Elis Lawton was born in Scott County, Virginia. By
1905, he worked in Colorado mine owned by a
man named Baxter Pate. Lawton had worked
filter Pile. Vitifinisn, One City. to Have Escaped there for 10 years. He wasn’t old enough to recall
! »n beirtoid b; Mean* of HfxiU LnJer !ii> c >ini. th e execution of McDaniel Rhea, but he often

baxterpate heard about it growing up. One day, Pate and

Lawton shared a drink and Pate made a shocking confession.

Yesteryear’s Crime

McDaniel Rhea worked as a laborer in Scott County. He originally came from Ashe County,
North Carolina. His friend, John Luttrell, came from Sullivan County, Tennessee.

McDaniel Rhea and John Luttrell shared an upper floor room in what would eventually be
known as the “Compton Hotel.” This old building is believed to have been across from Quillen
Hardware in downtown Gate City. The two were immersed in a game of cards and Luttrell
was on a winning streak. He ended up winning $750 from Rhea. The two laughed about it
until Rhea asked for some of the money back. That money was all he had.

Luttrell refused, despite their friendship. The two eventually fought and Rhea grabbed a gun.
He shot Luttrell dead. Rhea fled Gate City, but authorities caught up with him and brought
him back. His trial began on May 17, 1858. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to
hang on June 25.

MAY NOT HAVE HUNG
FOR FRIEND'S MURL

A Daring Escape

Lawton already knew most of the tale, but Pate continued to talk. Rhea had a wealthy family
in North Carolina. His stepbrothers, named Mason, came to visit him in jail. One brother
smuggled a tiny steel frame of hooks into Rhea’s cell the day before his execution. The hooks
were designed to bear the force of hanging and protect his neck.

After Rhea was hung, a doctor examined him and declared him dead. The doctor who
performed this was never seen again after that day. It is unknown if Rhea’s family paid him
off, or if they just killed him.

The Mason brothers brought a casket to Scott County and Rhea’s body was loaded in it. Two
officials were supposed to travel with the brothers to Yancey County, North Carolina. They
were supposed to verify the body was buried. A few days later, the officials returned and said
the men had threatened to kill them if they remained in North Carolina. No further efforts were
made to track the brothers in mourning.

Rhea’s family set him free as soon as they were into North Carolina. He first fled to Texas
and made his initial fortune in the mining industry. Lawton was shocked when Pate revealed

that he was Rhea, himself. “McDaniel Rhea,” was an assumed name, yet he is on record as
being executed in Scott County.

No one today knows precisely who to blame for the fake hanging. Did the family organize it?
The guards? Or the Sheriff, who was also sumamed Mason? The jailer who was supposed to
execute Rhea declared on his deathbed the hanging was a ruse. How far did the officials'
involvement go? It remains a mystery.

No efforts were made to re-arrest Pate, alias Rhea. The story is often erroneously reported to
have occurred in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and in several cities in Kentucky. In the
incorrect versions, the hotel is usually listed as the “Central Hotel.” Several false articles also
state detectives from West Virginia visited Colorado, but none ever captured or detained
Pate.

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Loftus Hall 'ghost' photo sensation - Independent.ie

Published 06/09/2014 \ 00:00 independent.ie

The photograph taken at Loftus Hall by English visitor Thomas
Beavis, showing what is believed to be a ghostly apparition at the

right-hand side.

Open Gallery 1

The photograph taken at Loftus Hall by
English visitor Thomas Beavis, showing
what is believed to be a ghostly
apparition at the right-hand side.

Loftus Hall is planning to extend its
Hallowe'en season arising from the
exposure it received online this week
from a reported sighting of a ghost at
the haunted house.

A young English man holidaying in
Ireland posted a photograph of what
appears to be the ghost of a young girl
almost touching a window pane from

inside the house as a tour group passes by.

Thomas Beavis, 21, said he made the chilling discovery while flicking through photos on his
camera with his friends after visiting the ancient hall, where the devil is supposed to have
appeared.

Mr Beavis said he was shocked to discover the figure that looks like a young girl as well as
the head of an older woman in a window.

'We were all feeling a little edgy from the tour but when I showed the photo to my friends we
freaked,' he said

'I zoomed in on all the windows to find this girl in the window. I had to take some time before I
showed it to everyone just because I didn’t really understand what I was looking at.'

Legend has it that the Tottenham family moved to the home around 1766 and a short time
after the youngest child in the family, Anne, fell ill allegedly after an encounter with a demonic
spirit.

The family then locked the child away in one of the mansion's many rooms until she died,
according to the legend.

Mr Beavis said he initially thought the figures were a reflection of women standing outside the
window but dismissed the idea after closer inspection.

'The girl could be the spirit of Anne Tottenham still walking around Loftus Hall. It could have
been some strange occurrence because of a supernatural power, but I don't know," he said.

'Normally I am a guy that believes in what he sees, but with this, I still don't understand what's
going on in that photo.'

Loftus Hall owner Aidan Quigley said he can't believe the response the story is getting
internationally.

Mr Quigley said staff at Loftus Hall are often contacted by visitors who claim they saw a
ghostly image at that corner of the building.

'We can see the online bookings coming in already. We do a lot of work with special effects
but this wasn't one of them. There is no way I'm going to say it's the Tottenham's niece and
it's absolutely of no benefit to me to say it was photo-shopped but this could really take Loftus
Hall on to the next level as it has major international flavour to it and it has gone viral.'

Mr Quigley said the photo and story was shared 9,000 times in the space of a few hours of
being released on Thursday and the exposure could make Loftus Hall the most visited
haunted house in Ireland and further afield.

He now plans to open a Hallowe'en tour three weeks before spooky the festival night next
year to accommodate all the visitors.

'Everything is happening at the right time coming into the Hallowe'en season. We're going to
have to start developing our Hallowe'en offering earlier because as soon as summer's
finished it’s straight into Hallowe'en these days.'

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Lucille Ball fans want ‘frightening’ statue in star’s
hometown removed

yahoo.com

By Michael Walsh April 2, 2015 6:48 PM Yahoo News
They don’t love this Lucy.

Locals are not happy with this statue of Lucille Ball in Celoron, N.Y.

Lucille Ball’s hometown, just outside Jamestown in
western New York, erected a life-size statue to honor the
beloved actress — but now it has some explaining to do.

Many take issue with the sculptor’s unflattering depiction of
the “I Love Lucy” star.

A self-described “big fan of Lucy’s” from Jamestown thinks
the statue needs to be replaced with one befitting the
comedy legend.

“Lucille Ball was not only an amazing comedienne, but she
was a stunning beauty. Her sense of humor only made her more beautiful,” he said
in an interview with Yahoo News. “This statue looks nothing like the beautiful Lucy
we all know. If for no other reason than that... the statue should go.”

The Jamestown man, who wishes to remain anonymous, started a Facebook page
titled We Love Lucy! Get Rid of this Statue.

“I don’t think this can be repaired,” he said. “Take a look at the beautiful statues
Nick at Nite created for ‘Bewitched’ and The Honeymooners’ and Bob Newhart... it
needs to be something more like those.”

The group organizer says that he does not want to disparage artist Dave Poulin at
all. In fact, he said, the artist has other works that are quite good — he just missed
the mark this time.

View gallery

In this undated image provided by CBS, comedian-actress Lucille Ball and her
husband, musician-actor Desi Arnaz, ...

“I think it looks like a monster. That is just my opinion,” he said. “When you see it at
night, it is frightening.”

In this undated image provided
by CBS, comedian-actress
Lucille Ball and her husband,

The Jamestown area is immensely proud of the classic
television icon. Jamestown is home to the Lucille Ball
Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy, which hosts
an annual comedy festival the first week of August. Jerry
Seinfeld will be headlining this year.

Celoron Mayor Scott Schrecengost told the Jamestown
Post-Journal that it would cost a lot of money — between
$8,000 and $10,000 — to have the original artist recast
the statue, which was unveiled in 2009.

Schrecengost told the newspaper that he has no interest
in using taxpayer dollars to fix it. Instead, a fund has been
set up to raise the money, according to the daily

musician-actor Desi Arnaz, from newspaper.
the comedy series, &quot;l

Love ...

The artist did not reply to Yahoo News’ request for

comment.

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Man digs under house and finds
5,000-year-old underground city

Rob Waugh for Metro.co.uk

Friday 3 Apr 2015 10:28 am

http://rnetro.co.uk/2015/04/03/rnan-dias-under-house-and-finds-5000-

vear-oid-underq round-city-5 1335 21/

The underground city of Derinkuyu - the new find is believed to be even larger (Picture Alamy)

It sounds like something out of The Lord of the Rings - a huge, underground city of tunnels lit
by oil lamps, with room for more than 20,000 people, just underneath people’s feet.

But a vast subterranean city has just been uncovered in Cappadocia - completely
by accident.

Workers in Turkey found the entrance to a vast underground labyrinth underneath
homes scheduled for demolition in the city of Nlevsehir.

Workers moving piles of Earth found the signs of a huge network of tunnels

thought to date back 5,000 years.

The find echoes the famous discovery of another underground city, Derinkuyu
(pictured), an 18-storey complex was found in the area when a man knocked
down a wall in his basement in 1963.

The new underground city is thought be even bigger - built, like Derinkuyu, during
the Byzantine era, to protect the occupants from relligious wars in the region.

Derinkuyu ’s residents could close themselves in using gigantic stone doors (Picture Alamy)

Derinkuyu's residents could close themselves in using gigantic stone doors.

‘This new discovery will be added as a new pearl, a new diamond, a new gold,' the
mayor of Nevsehir, Hasan Unver, said to National Geographic.

‘When the underground city beneath Nevsehir Castle is completely revealed, it is
almost certain to change the destination of Cappadocia dramatically.'

The new underground city is thought be even bigger - built, like Derinkuyu, during the Byzantine era,
to protect the occupants from relligious wars in the region (Picture Alamy)

Early estimates suggest that the city, uncovered in 2012, could be one-third
bigger than Derinkuyu.

Planned renovation works have been called off as archaeologists investigate the
tunnels.

Pa. man killed by falling tombstone while decorating family
plot

New York Daily News ITISn.COrn

A 74-year-old man’s wife
watched in horror as her
husband was crushed to death
by a tombstone as they hung
Easter decorations at their
family plot Monday morning,
police said.

The couple from Scranton, Pa.,
was tying a cross around the
marker in Throop's Saint
Josephs Cemetery when its top
unexpectedly tilted off its base,
Throop Police Officer Andy

"It landed across his waist and it pinned him," Kerecman described the horrifying
scene just before 10:30 a.m. "It probably moved some of his internal organs up
because he was blue, so it probably suffocated him or caused internal injuries."

The victim was identified by PaHomePage as Stephan Woytack.

Meanwhile, the victim’s wife was completely beside herself after initially trying to lift
the massive stone before running for help, he said.

"She literally, when it fell over, she ran and they’re in their 70s — 74, 73. She
probably ran a good 200 yards because the caretaker just happened to come to
the cemetery," he said of her desperate attempt to get help.

When Kerecman arrived he saw the caretaker trying to move the monument
himself, but also without success.

"There is no way that any one person could lift that up," Kerecman said. "It was a
pretty heavy stone."

It took the caretaker’s and Kerecman's joined strength to finally free the man, but
by then it was too late.

© Couresty of WNEP (http://aka.ms/vzrsk9) A cemetary in
Throop , Pennsylvania where a man was killed by a falling
headstone, March 30, 2015.

Kerecman told the Daily News.

"It crushed him," Kerecman said.

The victim, who Kercman said was described to him as a deeply religious man who
was "very active in church," was given his last rites at the scene by a nearby priest,
he said.

"It’s just a terrible, unfortunate accident. I've never seen anything like that. I’m
going on almost 30 years," Kerecman said while further describing it as "freaky."

The caretaker said the couple regularly stopped by and recently purchased two
plots in the cemetery, according to Kerecman.

"They’re there every year," he said of the couple’s Easter ritual. "They usually hang
the cross and then they leave."

ngolgowski@nydailynews.com

Man tried to marry a COBRA believing reptile was the
reincarnation of beautiful woman

mirror.co.uk

Man tried to marry a COBRA believing reptile was the reincarnation of beautiful woman

• 17:30, 6 April 2015

• By Mai Tattersall

Sandeep Pate claimed that he could also turn into a snake at night after going into a
deep trance

Thousands of superstitious Hindus threatened to riot when police raided an Indian temple to
stop a lovelorn peasant marrying a snake.

Sandeep Patel, 27, was convinced the cobra had been a beautiful woman in a previous life
and had now fallen in love with him.

He claimed that he could also turn into a snake at night after going into a deep trance.

And he told everyone that the slithering reptile had promised to wed him on Easter Saturday.

Between 12,000 and 15,000 people flocked to watch the ceremony at the remote village of
Badwapur in Phoolpur state.

Excited Sandeep, who arrived wearing just trousers and a white vest, was soon garlanded
with colourful flowers by the crowd.

The Hindu priest carrying out the marriage told them that he had “exhibited traits of a snake"
since childhood.

He added: “Sandeep walks, drinks and flickers his tongue just like a snake.”

But the orange-robed priest ran away in a panic when armed police burst into the temple after
being tipped off about the bizarre wedding.

Both Sandeep and his father Dayashankar, a farmer, were arrested for “breaching the
peace”.

But then, India newspapers reported, the disappointed crowd threatened to riot because the
wedding had been cancelled.

Police reinforcements had to be called in to disperse them to their homes in surrounding
villages.

Nine years ago an Indian woman called Bimbala Das married a cobra at the village of Tala in
Orissa.

Priests chanted mantras for an hour as she sat in a temple wearing her best silk saree.

Unfortunately the snake, said to live in a nearby ant hill, failed to turn up.

So 30-year-old Bimbala held a brass replica instead.

She said later: “Though snakes cannot speak or understand, we communicate in a peculiar
way. The cobra has never harmed me."

Her neighbours in the village were delighted by the wedding. They claimed it would bring
good fortune to the area.

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Mass exorcism of schoolkids leaves many in hysterics as priest
attempts to 'banish the Devil' mirror.co.uk

. 14:34, 30 March 2015
• By Kirstie McCrum

The priest claimed to be purifying the youngsters who were attending what they
thought was a religious camp

Polish school children at a religious
camp to celebrate Lent were left
screaming and in tears when priest
Tomas Wieczorek, 37, carried out a
mass exorcism

School children have been left
screaming and sobbing after a priest
carried out a mass exorcism on them at
a religious camp.

The 1,000 young people, from schools
in the town of Gryfice, north-western
Poland, were attending the three-day
camp to help "young people explore God and devote themselves to spiritual renewal through
prayer".

But instead of singing songs and praying, priest T omas Wieczorek, 37, was more interested
in exorcising their demons and replacing them with God.

Polish school children at a religious
camp to celebrate Lent were left
screaming and in tears when priest
Tomas Wieczorek, 37, (pictured)
carried out a mass exorcism

Shocked mum Magda Rutkowska, 43,
said: "On the first day he took a few of
the children on stage and placed his
hand on their foreheads one by one
and started repeating Holy Spirit,
come. Holy Spirit, come.’

"Some of the children fainted while

others started crying."

When other students went to help their semi-conscious pals, the priest commanded them to

stay still, adding: "God is entering their souls and banishing the Devil."

Some children touched by the priest began screaming while others burst out into fits of
laughter.

Polish school children at a religious
camp to celebrate Lent were left
screaming and in tears when priest
Tomas Wieczorek, 37, carried out a
mass exorcism

A student who was there said: "It was
really scary, almost like a mental
asylum.

"Some of them were writhing on the
floor, others were laughing hysterically
and others were screaming and crying.

"The priest said he was purifying them but it was all too much for most of us.

CEN

"The next day we didn’t turn up because we were scared about what would happen."

Polish school children at a religious
camp to celebrate Lent were left
screaming and in tears when priest
Tomas Wieczorek, 37, carried out a
mass exorcism

School psychologist Halina Wysocka
said: "Children are not emotionally
mature enough to experience prayer
during which the Holy Spirit may enter
them.

"The methods presented were similar
to those in religious sects."

An area church spokesman said: "We haven't received any complaints so far, so there’s no
problem."

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Massive Underground City Found in Cappadocia Region of
Turkey

nationalgeographic.com

Subterranean retreat may have sheltered thousands of people in times of trouble.

By Jennifer Pinkowski, National

Geographic

Picture of an opening to the underground city in Nevsehir

PUBLISHED March 26, 2015

When the invaders came, Cappadocians
knew where to hide: underground, in one of
the 250 subterranean safe havens they had
carved from pliable volcanic ash rock called
tuff.

Now a housing construction project may
have unearthed the biggest hiding place
ever found in Cappadocia, a region of
central Turkey famous for the otherworldly
chimney houses, cave churches, and
underground cities its residents carved for

millennia.

Discovered beneath a Byzantine-era hilltop castle in Nev§ehir, the provincial capital, the site dates back
at least to early Byzantine times. It is still largely unexplored, but initial studies suggest its size and
features may rival those of Derinkuyu, the largest excavated underground city in Cappadocia, which
could house 20,000 people.

Light in the Tunnel

In 2013, construction workers demolishing low-income homes ringing the castle discovered entrances to
a network of rooms and tunnels. The city halted the housing project, called in archaeologists and
geophysicists, and began investigating.

A 300-year-old paper trail between the local government and Ottoman officials suggested where to
begin. “We found documents stating that there were close to 30 major water tunnels in this region,” says
Nev§ehir mayor Hasan Unver.

In 2014, those tunnels led scientists to discover a multilevel
settlement of living spaces, kitchens, wineries, chapels, staircases,
and bezirhane — linseed presses for producing lamp oil to light the
underground city. Artifacts including grindstones, stone crosses,
and ceramics indicate the city was in use from the Byzantine era
through the Ottoman conquest.

Like Derinkuyu, the site appears to have been a large, self-
sustaining complex with air shafts and water channels. When
danger loomed, Cappadocians retreated underground, blocked
the access tunnels with round stone doors, and sealed themselves
in with livestock and supplies until the threat passed.

Cappadocia's early adoption of Christianity — the apostle Paul
arrived in the first century, and by the fourth its bishops were

power players in the newly Christian Byzantine Empire — made it a safe haven during centuries of war for
control of Anatolia. Muslim invaders arrived in the late eighth century, and centuries later came the
Seljuk Turks. Eventually Ottoman emperors ruled the entirety of Anatolia.

How Big Is It?

Geophysicists from Nev§ehir University
conducted a systematic survey of a 1.5-mile
{4-kilometer) area using geophysical
resistivity and seismic tomography. From the
33 independent measurements they took,
they estimate the site is nearly five million
square feet {460,000 square meters).

These studies suggest the underground
corridors may plunge as deep as 371 feet
(113 meters). If that turns out to be
accurate, the city could be larger than
Derinkuyu by a third.

But the exact size is unknown, cautions
Nev§ehir Museum director Murat Gulyaz, the archaeologist in charge of the investigation. “As of now, it is
not possible to say. But given the city's location, defenses, and proximity to a water supply, it is highly
likely that it spans a very large area.”

“World’s Largest Antique Park”?

“This new discovery will be added as a new pearl, a new diamond, a new gold” to Cappadocia's riches,
raves Unver, the mayor, who wants to build “the world's largest antique park,” with boutique hotels and
art galleries aboveground, and walking trails and a museum below. {The planned housing complex has
been moved to the suburbs.) “We even plan to reopen the underground churches,” he says. “All of this
makes us very excited.”

Gulyaz's team of archaeologists will continue to clear rubble from tunnels and explore deeper
underground — a risky undertaking, since the soft tuff is prone to collapsing. “When the underground city
beneath Nev§ehir Castle is completely revealed,” he says, “it is almost certain to change the destination
of Cappadocia dramatically.”

Picture of the underground city in Nevsehir Turkey

Want to see an albino lobster? This one's just been saved from
the chefs pot

mirror.co.uk

. 20:41, 5 April 2015

The unusual sea creature was destined for a seafood restaurant until staff at Sea Life
Manchester showed clemency, snapping it up for an exhibition

All white, mate: The mega-rare albino
lobster was found off the coast of
Weymouth

A one-in-a-hundred-million albino
lobster i on show in Britain after being
saved from the chefs cooking pot.

The lucky lobster was heading for a
seafood restaurant in London after
being found off the coast of Weymouth.

But Sea Life Manchester stepped in to
pincer him for their new Claws

Mercury Press & Media Ltd

Snapped up: Named Theodore, the lobster is now part of the Claws
exhibition at Sea Life Manchester

Staff have already taken a shine to the sea creature and have named
him Theodore by staff - instead of popular dish thermidor.

The sharp white critter, who is around five-years-old, has an absence
of colour pigmentation due to a lack of melanin.

Giant lobster as big as a HUMAN roamed the seas 480million
years ago

But the ultra-rare lobster could yet shed his shells with staff expecting
his new suit to be white too.

The eye-catching colour is not an advantage out in the wild as predators are more likely to
see Theodore than his blue-coloured cousins.

Sea you soon: Theodore was heading for the chef's pot - until he was given a reprieve

Joe Lavery, head aquarist at Sea Life Manchester, said: “Lobsters are normally a blue or
bluey-grey colour, which is much better for camouflage against the rocky sea bed.

Mercury Press & Media Ltd

“It’s amazing that any lobster as pale as Theodore could survive so
long as he has, his stand out colouring would make him a prime
target for predators.

“We were particularly lucky that one of our suppliers contacted us
with this exciting find, otherwise he’d most likely have been served
up for supper.”

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Montreal’s Penis Temple Dedicated To Every Member
(NSFW)

The Huffington Post \ By David Moye

hjffingtonpost.com

At the Temple of Priapus, all church members worship
members -- it’s a prerequisite.

The pagan temple began in San Francisco in the 1970s
as a tribute to Priapus, a Greek god of fertility and the
son of Dionysus and Aphrodite.

Since then, temples have opened in other cities,
including Montreal, where David Francis Cassidy has
served as Temple Pontifex since the early 1990s.

The Montreal temple and its members are featured in
"The Dickumentary," a documentary rolling out March
31 on VOD and DVD.

"Cultures have worshipped it, and circumcised it," the film's Facebook page explains. "Men
have sought ways to make it larger. Across 14 countries, featuring interviews with more than
40 experts, The Dickumentary’ tries to answer some of the greatest questions of our time,
like: What happened to Jesus’ foreskin? Why do Hindus worship Shiva’s lingam? And, does
size really matter?

According to the Montreal Temple’s NSFW website, the church says the male sex organ is
holy and that at least four hours a week should be devoted to masturbation or assisting
others towards that goal.

The temple's website is explicit about the sexual nature of the group (we don't even want to
link to it). Prospective members must participate in an interview where they submit to sexual
desires of church elders.

Cassidy tells filmmakers:

"The temple is a gathering place for us to express our sexuality. The temple is a place for us
to feel free and uninhibited, to explore ourselves, learn about ourselves, to grow within
ourselves and to become ourselves."

Only men now belong to the church, but the temple would welcome female worshippers.

Cassidy was an original member of the San Francisco church and became Pontifex of the
Montreal chapter in the early 90s. The organization holds services on the first Monday of
every month, according to parishioner Ray Batson.

"[Cassidy] does this thing in front of the altar with the candles and the incense, and then we
stand there naked and we're praying for whatever," he said in the film. "And then after, we

DavidFrancisCassidyisthepontif

exoftheTempleofPriapus,achurc

hdedicatedtoworshippingthemal

esexorgan.

just do whatever we feel like doing.

The altar where the services take place is filled with phalluses of different sizes and from
different points of history.

"We try and have the old and the new together in the service of the god we worship," Cassidy
said.

Like Us On Facebook |

W St. Priapus Church - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Mt. Thor, Nunavut, Canada - Earth’s Greatest Vertical Drop |

When On Earth - For People Who Love Travel whenonearth.net

Mount Thor, a little different than the superhero hailing from Asgard, resides in beautiful
Canada. Of course, we know the mountain’s namesake, Thor, the all-powerful Norse God,
whose strength comes from thunder. Known for its amazing mountain range and miraculous
sites, Mount Thor lives up to its name and does not disappoint. It makes its home in Nunavut,
Canada. Now, most people have no idea where that is, but it’s the northernmost part of
Canada and also the newest. You can bet you’ll freeze your fingers off up there, but it's worth
it.

Seriously, this mountain is no joke
when it comes to climb. Many attempts
were made, but it wasn’t until an
American team, with almost a ton of
food and supplies, decided to scale it
that there was success. Along with

plunging debris and unpredictability of gear, the climbers had to persist and made the climb to
the top in 33 days. Yeah, that’s over a month! It also doesn’t help that Mt. Thor has frequent
rock falls.

Mount Thor Peak 1997-08-07

53e2dd63c2d3f39d361 06367 mount-thor-baffin-island

terrain is filled with glaciers, and although
the mountain has a consistency for
remoteness, it actually see quite a few
campers and avid daredevils that want
to tackle it. What’s interesting
especially about Mt. Thor is that there
are tons of peaks and fjords. It has an
overhang of about a hundred degrees,
making it incredibly steep.

The mountain sits on Nunavut’s Baffin Island
and is, hands down, the world’s longest
vertical drop. Mount Thor is a whopping
almost 2,000 meters (that’s a little under
5,000 feet!) long vertically. It’s on a long line
of the Baffin Mountains, making up a portion
of the Arctic Cordillera Mountains. Officially
known as Thor Peak, this mountain is the feat
of the brave. Climbers come from all over to
brace the chilly weather and hike up the jaw
dropping granite of Mt. Thor.

Different activities are also available near or on the mountain, like paragliding and
parachuting of Thor’s tremendous heights. Any good climber knows that climbing season is

approaching, so that means Mt. Thor will be
getting a lot of action in August. The summer
months are the best time to get outdoors and
start climbing things!

Although, it isn’t as impenetrable as Mount
Asgard (yes, there’s a whole team of
mountains named after Marvel comic book
characters up there), climbing Mt. Thor isn’t a
walk in the park. This isn’t a trek for
beginners, but maybe climbers with more
experience should pursue. Regardless of
which route one takes up the mountain, they’ll
face a few hiccups and that can make
things very dangerous.

Whenever attempting to rock climb, it’s
important to take into consideration certain
necessary precautions. Mt. Thor and its
surrounding areas have limited supervision,
so you’ve got to rely on good ole common
sense and survival skills when you get out
there. Not only should you allow yourself a
chance to see this amazing world wonder,
but it’s a great opportunity to do something
exotic and fun.

Auyuittuq_ ThorPeak_2007

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Multiple Alien UFO Bases And Structures Found On The Moon,

UFO Researcher Claims inquisitr.com

Posted in: Odd News Posted: April 2, 2015

Multiple Alien UFO Bases And Structures Found On The Moon, UFO Researcher
Claims

A UFO researcher claims he has identified at least 30 alien UFO bases and structures on the
lunar surface using Google Moon.

According to the French moon anomaly researcher, Sebastien Spelier, in a French-language
video posted to YouTube on March 30, 2015 he was able to identify multiple forms and
anomalies some of which might be UFOs, and others buildings or bases near the Dorsum
Gast area of the moon.

The coordinates of some of the structures are listed below.

Coordinates 1: 21 0 54'26.17"N 9°20’36.05"E
Coordinates 2: 22°42’38.96"N 8°34’5.18"E
Coordinates 3: 22° 7’29.46"N 8° 7’35.68"E

Spelier comments in his YouT ube video that the clearly identifiable structures dispel all
doubts about alien presence on the moon despite NASA’s silence on the matter.

-Alien Base On The Moon, According to Anomaly Hunter Sebastien Spelier

-An Alien Structure According To Sebastein Spelier

‘Allegations that alien life exists on the moon and that NASA is concealing the truth is popular
in UFO and alien conspiracy circles. Spelier’s interpretation of certain patterns of dark shapes
on the moon as alien bases is not unusual and probably derives from the vague similarity of
the shapes to the appearance of compounds and buildings on Google Earth images.

City On The Moon? More Strange Anomalies!

Moon in HD and tons of UFO fly by’s !! A MUST SEE !!

Moon & Mars Anomalies 2013

According to Scot Waring, editor of UFO Sightings Daily, all the photos showing the alleged
alien structures are “untouched and original. No altering done.”

This is not the first time that Spelier has posted to YouTube a video in which he claims to be
able to identify alien bases on the moon. In a previous YouTube video he claimed he was
able to identify 40 alien bases in area “over 2,600 km long." As far as he could judge the
structures were artificial and not natural.

Moon in HD and tons of UFO fly by's !! A MUST SEE !!

UFO AND STRUCTURE ON THE MOON ! REAL !

And as already indicated, Spelier is not the first moon anomaly hunter to claim discovery of
lunar alien bases. In January, 2014, an anomaly hunter attracted plenty of attention online
after he reported sighting a wedge-shaped structure on the moon in a small lunar crater
(22°42’38.46"N 142°34’44.52") located at the edge of Mare Moscoviense.

What appeared to distinguish the structure as being likely artificial was a row of seven
“nodes” that looked like artificial lights arranged in a v-pattern at 90 degrees angle along the
edge of the structure.

-Wedge-Shaped Alien Moon Base With Artificial Lights?

' The symmetry of the arrangement appeared to bear a clear stamp of artificial design.

Also in August, 2014, UFO Sightings Daily’s Scott Warring reported sighting on Google Moon
an alien base in the equatorial region of the moon (19°43’02.81" N 20 o 30’52.97").

1 Alien Moon Base?

“On the back side alone there is seven to eight right angles. The darkness around
the edges seems to tell us that there is a large cavity underneath the structure,
under the ground and also along the edges here there is a walled area which tells
us there is a cavity there because the wall is to keep things from falling in.”

Speculations about alien bases and structures based on sightings of dark shapes on moon
have been dismissed by experts as “artifacts from the digital photography software,”
according to the International Business Times.

However, UFO and anomaly hunters aren’t convinced and have wondered aloud what sort of
“artifacts from the digital photography software” generate wedge-shaped structures with lights
arranged in what appear perfect symmetrical order.

[Images: UFO Sightings Daily; YouTube]

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Mutant pet fish dumped in rivers grow 10 times their
normal size

mirror.co.uk

. 09:55, 2 April 2015
• By Mhairi Macfarlane

The mutant goldfish and other species are driving the native fish to
extinction

Pet fish dumped in rivers
are harming the natural
ecosystem after growing
up to 10 times their
regular size.

Huge goldfish and koi carp
are being caught in the
waterways of Western
Australia.

Shocking pictures show
how the aquarium fish
have turned into river monsters and an expert warns they are driving native fish to
extinction.

Dr David Morgan, the Director of the Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research at
Murdoch University, said: "Effectively people are unknowingly doing it but they’re
basically released by pet owners.

"People aren’t really aware what damage they're going to have in the ecosystem.

"What you see up and down Western Australia’s coast is a lot of pest fishes are
right in town centres and almost every town has one."

Mutant: Koi carp weighing up to 8kg and up to one metre in length

Dr Morgan told the Daily Mail the fish are much larger than the native species,
such as crayfish, so they prey on them.

They are also bringing exotic parasites and disease with them, he said.

One of these is an anchor worm that leaves a hideous impact on native fish and

A bigger fish to fry - mutant goldfish in Western Australia rivers

Dr Morgan, whose organisation
euthanizes hundreds of the pests
after catching them through electric
fishing, said he wants pet owners to be educated into the effects of releasing their
pets into the wild.

Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit

was probably introduced by
goldfish.

Research conducted by Dr Morgan
and Stephen Beatty found that at
least 13 species offish had been
introduced into south-western
Australia, with pet owners believed
to be the biggest culprits.

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Is this a stop for the No2? Mystery prankster installs fully
functional toilet at bus stop

express.co.uk

A MYSTERY prankster must be feeling flushed with success after “vandalising” a
village bus stop by installing a toilet.

PUBLISHED: 00:01, Thu, Feb 26, 2015

The unknown joker installed a full
bathroom set at the rural bus
shelter, including a toilet bowl
and cistern, a sink and even a
toilet roll holder.

A groundsman in the Surrey
village of Worplesdon made the
surprising discovery on Monday
morning, and ever since, finding
the identity of the mystery
plumber has been driving some
locals round the u-bend.

Parish Council Clerk Gaynor White said: “I received a phone call just before midday and the
groundsman said ‘you will never guess what I have found’.

“I have been the parish clerk for 1 5 and a half years, and I have
never seen anything like it - it is hysterical really.”

Sadly, the porcelain set has since been removed.

A local, who asked not to be named, said: “It was definitely the
strangest bit of vandalism I’ve ever seen.

“We have no idea who did it though.

"The set looked quite nice so it’s not your average bored youth.

“They were screwed in tight - it’s a shame the parish council didn’t
decide to keep it there.

“Sometimes you’ve got to wait ages for a bus.”

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Noah Fulton and the Execution of Confusion - Virginia Creepervacreeper.com

by admin • November 30, 2014

Noah Fulton's execution remains one of the most
controversial instances of capital punishment in
Virginia. The 21 -year-old was tried and convicted
of first-degree murder in 1907. Full documentation
for the case has been lost to time, but it makes
little difference. Even with documentation, this was
a period of chaos in the local legal system.

Noah Fulton and John Johnson were life-long
friends. Fulton became a lumber mill worker and Johnson became a farmer, but the two
worked together in West Virginia for a month in March. They then returned to their native
Abingdon, Virginia. Several erroneous reports also circulated stating Fulton was “colored."

The constant friendship hit a bad patch and the two young men had a falling out. Some
accounts declare they were rivals over a young woman in the community. Other sources
state Johnson insulted Fulton and the battle ensued. Still others suggest that Fulton had
become a hired gun, and someone had paid him to kill Johnson. On the day of his capture,
Fulton told authorities that Johnson had threatened his life. Johnson was only 23-years-old
when he was killed.

Fn 19 1MWU& Fv« » - ]»II NwMU*.*

Inscribed stone taken from a burial mound near
Nashville, Tennessee.

The Dorah Theory

Numerous accounts link both Johnson and Fulton to 17-year-old girl by the name of Dorah
Breedvole. In this version, the young men dueled as a result of a month-long tension. They
quarreled in West Virginia and their conflict faded. When they returned to Abingdon, the fires
were rekindled and the young men ended up dueling. The young men met on April 28, just
after church service, and the dueling took place. Breedvole was crushed by the series of
events.

The Crime Comes Home

Both men met in Greendale, near Abingdon, at 2 o’clock that afternoon. Fulton fired 5 times
and hit Johnson, but only one bullet killed him. It severed an artery and the young man bled
to death.

Fulton fled and was in Tennessee by the next day. The authorities were close behind with
bloodhounds. He purchased a ticket at the station in Bluff City, Tennessee. He was
apprehended by the authorities in Jonesboro on the 29th. By that point, he was on his way to
Indianapolis.

Fulton was returned to the Abingdon jail to await trial. He was convicted of first-degree

murder on June 10, 1907. His lawyer made a motion for a new trial, but the request was
denied on June 1 1 . The judge sentenced him to be hanged on July 12.

His council began proceedings to have his death sentence commuted to life in prison. His
youth prompted public outcry and numerous petitions for clemency. For a long time, it
seemed there was hope. On July 2, he was given a respite to allow time for an appeal. The
execution day was postponed to September 13, 1907. News came again on September 9,
this time his death was postponed to October 11. On October 7, the sentence was again set
up for November 15. On November 14, it was extended to December 13, 1907.

Virginia Governor Claude A. Swanson poured over the case for months. Several reports of
new evidence came out in Fulton’s favor. Unfortunately, it was never enough to convince
Gov. Swanson to commute the sentence to life. In November, he formally stated he would not
intervene. The Supreme Court had denied an appeal. Swanson said he wouldn’t go against
the rulings of the lower court as well as the Attorney for the Commonwealth.

Fulton issued a statement in December before his execution. He stated he carried a secret
with him that would’ve resulted in someone else being hanged. The youth believed he
couldn’t be forgiven because he hadn’t talked earlier. Many ministers tried to visit him and
console him before the end, but he refused to see them. This was also when many started to
suspect he’d been hired to kill Johnson.

Fulton was hanged on December 13. From existing records, the death was not humane.
Fulton hung for 27 minutes before he was strangled to death. His neck did not break. He was
left hanging for a total of 31 minutes before authorities cut him down and the attending
physician pronounced him dead.

This still wasn’t the end. News circulated papers nationwide, in the last week of December
1907, which claimed Fulton had miraculously survived the hanging. That his neck didn’t break
and he was being nursed by relatives. The story was formally disproved by December 29,
when officials spoke out about his burial.

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Nun in hot water after stabbing seven-year-old in hand to teach
him about Jesus

mirror.co.uk

. 10:41, 5 April 2015
• By Sam Webb

Sister Ludovita had been giving RE classes when she told pupil Adam Celko, 7, to
come to the front of the class

Wrath of God: Sister Ludovita stabbed
a boy in the hand during an RE lesson

An over-zealous nun stabbed a
schoolboy in the hand with a needle to
show him how Jesus suffered.

Sister Ludovita, 30, had been giving RE
classes at a school in the town of
Kysucke Nove Mesto in northern
Slovakia when she told unsuspecting
pupil Adam Celko, 7, to come to the
front of the class.

CEN

She then took a needle out of her handbag and rammed it into the boy’s hand in front of the
horrified class, telling him that this was how Jesus suffered - and he would too if he behaved
badly.

The boy's outraged mum Helena, 30, said: "When Adam got home he had a wound on the
back of his hand and when I asked him what had happened he told me the nun had done it.

"I was completely shocked. I mean, what on earth was she thinking?

CEN

Injured: Adam Celko’s forearm, which
was stabbed by Sister Ludovita

"And with Easter coming I began to
worry about what she would do next -
crucify one of the students or hammer a
nail into their hands?"

A spokesman for the school said: "We
strongly disapprove of this sort of
teaching method.

"When I contacted the Sister she told
me that the class had been learning

about Jesus Christ and personal sin.

Site: The Grammar School in the town
of Kysucke Nove Mesto where Sister
Ludovita worked

"She added that the children had been
invited to voluntarily experience mild
pain so they could empathise with the
theme.

"She said she had invited the pupils to
prick themselves if they wanted to but
were not forced to.

"She denies stabbing the boy and says

"Either way, this is inappropriate behaviour and will not be tolerated in this school."

Local priest Peter Holbicka said: "The Sister in question has been removed from the school
and I shall be taking the matter up with her personally."

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plymouthherald.co.uk

Paranormal activity detected at Devonport Guildhall

April 7th 2015

By Plymouth Herald | Posted: April 07, 2015

Paranormal investigators at Devonport
Guildhall

SOMETHING spooky was going on as
Devonport Guildhall was overtaken by a
group of ghost hunters.

Paranormal investigators from Devon
Ghost Adventures held two ‘ghost
walks’ inside the Grade I listed building,
and paid a visit to the neighbouring
Crown and Column and Bristol Castle
pubs.

More than 30 eager ghost hunters took part in the three-hour session.

The group tried their hand at ‘spiritual’ activities in the building's various rooms, including a
human pendulum re-enactment, a Ouija board demonstration and using their energy to
‘contact’ any spirits which may have been lingering in the building.

Diana Stickney, from Devonport Guildhall, who took part in the ghost hunt for the first time,
said: “There was an unsettling atmosphere from the beginning of the night.

“Lights flickered and rooms turned suddenly very cold. We were all a little anxious at the start,
and we felt even more so as the night wore on.

“I’ve never used a Ouija board before but I don’t think it’s something I’ll be delving into in the
future.”

Devonport Guildhall has a fascinating history which lends itself to ghost stories. Built in 1824,
the building has seen a great deal of history transform the surrounding area, and the Column
Bakehouse cafe was once the mortuary for the town of Devonport. The cells next door retain
much of their original features, including iron bars over the windows and thick stone walls.

Clare Rodd and Nikki Davies led the sessions, and they encourage anyone to try the hunt,
regardless of whether they believe in ghosts and spirits or not. Clare said: “We had a fantastic
experience at Devonport Guildhall.

“We picked up a lot of paranormal activity, and witnessed some very strange occurrences in
some parts of the building. Some members of the group reported being prodded and
scratched.

“We also witnessed a lot of glass and table movement as we used our energy to make
contact with the supernatural forces.”

Louise Evans, Venue Manager at Devonport Guildhall, was excited at the prospect of a ghost
hunt in the building. She said: “Devonport Guildhall has such a fascinating history, and the
ghost walk was a great opportunity to explore what spirits may or may not be lingering in the
building after dark. We welcome events such as this which give people the chance to come
together and explore something new and exciting and slightly different.”

For more information, search Devon Ghost Adventures on Facebook.

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Mass UFO Sighting At Cannock Chase 24/03/2015

blogspot.com

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Evening guys!

This might be one of the fastest blog posts I've ever typed, and there is a pretty good reason for me
wanting to get it online as quickly as possible. At around 9pm tonight (Tuesday 24th March 2015),
hundreds of Cannock Chase residents witnessed strange phenomena in the skies. I have to admit that I
am among those who bore witness to the event.

Before anything could be seen with the naked eye, there was a deep and very loud drone noise not
unlike that you would expect to hear from an old WW2 bomber. After around three minutes, the craft
came into sight. It seemed to be incredibly large and astonishingly low in the sky with three red lights that
were easily noticeable. The UFO traveled very slowly, and so many people thought it was about to crash
to earth. Thankfully, it disappeared out of view without anything too catastrophic happening. The sound
from the engine (or whatever it was) lasted for around another five minutes.

Local residents soon turned to Facebook with their questions about the strange craft seen over Cannock
Chase. Flere are some quotes from their sighting reports...

"It was stupidly loud. My heart is still pounding."

"I heard it and thought that's low.. thought it might have been a plane coming down ....it looked like one
big thing with 3 lights,, scared the outta me."

"Way to slow for fighter jets, it flew directly over our house it made a sharp left turn and carried on"

"My house was rumbling. ...and i'm still shaking. .it was slow and it was bloody huge."

"I heard it. Very low and loud- sounding and seemed to last for about 3 mins. The dog went mad.
Unfortunately, I was too lazy and comfortable to get up and look! Very low engine noise. This was by
Cannock Cemetery."

"It wasn't a fighter jet. Way to big. Three red lights one at rear one on each wing. Usually commercial
planes have flashing lights but this just had three solid red lights. Could have been a large military plane
especially with such an unusual flight path."

As you can see from their comments, the whole town is talking about the sighting. Let's look at some of
the possible explanations:

• There is currently a US aircraft carrier stationed just off the coast of Portsmouth. It is possible
the craft was some kind of top secret plane.

• We can't rule out the possibility that we all saw an airplane in distress that was in fact
experiencing engine trouble.

• Lastly, we have to acknowledge the fact that hundreds of people in the Cannock Chase area
have just seen a genuine otherworldly UFO.

I've checked online with flight tracking services, and have concluded it would be impossible for this to
have been a plane in trouble. There simply weren't any flights in the area at that specific time. I also
contacted Birmingham airport to make sure, and they confirmed none of the flights leaving or arriving at
the airport have experienced issues that would have led them to fly so low.

Getting information out of the military is sometimes tough, but my FOI will be written and emailed off
within minutes of finishing this blog post. I'll do my best to get to the bottom of it guys.

With so many UFO sightings during the last couple of years in this area, many people now believe they
are from another place. A place we don't even dare to imagine. A place where everything we know about
the universe it turned on its head. That's right folks, we're talking about alien planets at the other end of
the galaxy. What do you think?

I'll post an update soon!

6 comments:

1. Anonymous25 March 2015 at 12:08

Thank you Lee for the information. I think if it was making noise that it is "ours".

2. Anonymous25 March 2015 at 19:50

Most likely to be a Chanouk helecopter real ufo are silent!

3. Anonymous25 March 2015 at 22:38
Ooooooooooooh!

4. Anonymous26 March 2015 at 20:33

I live in Aldrige and just had the same thing happen here tonight but 5 red lights not 3 How do you
find the info out?

5. Sam Shaw26 March 2015 at 21:11

Myself and a colleague were driving between Hednesford and Huntington at around 01:10 on that
very evening and we witnessed a meteorite fall to earth in the vicinity, what a coincidence!

6. Anthony Nicholas26 March 2015 at 22:43
Im looking forward to your updates Lee!!

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Paranormal experts hunt for fairies at bottom of Royal
Botanic Garden

dailyrecord.co.uk

. 20:40, 28 March 2015
• By Record Reporter

THE move follows an account of elves, fauns and even a centaur being seen by
scientist Robert Ogilvie Crombie.

Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh

THE Royal Botanic Garden is to be
analysed for signs of pixies and elves
after claims that supernatural spirits live
in the grounds.

Paranormal experts will visit the site in
Edinburgh over the next two weeks with
sensitive equipment in an attempt to
detect if there really are fairies at the
bottom of the garden.

The move follows an account of elves,
fauns and even a centaur being seen by scientist Robert Ogilvie Crombie.

He claimed to have had conversations with spirits in and around the Botanies and wrote
about his experiences in the book The Gentleman and the Faun.

Now his theories will be tested by paranormal expert Ron Halliday and medium Gary Gray.

Their experiment marks the 40th anniversary of Crombie's death. He had abandoned his
career in science in the early 20th century due to ill health.

Ron, of Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, said: “I want to see if there is any foundation to these
experiences. Is there something about the gardens themselves? Is there a strange energy
there that could explain what Crombie says he saw?

Robert Ogilvie Crombie

“Crombie was well respected at the time, and he said he encountered a variety of nature
spirits and had conversations with them. He even claimed he took one of them home.

“Why would he say such a thing? We aim to find out."

Born in Edinburgh in 1899, Crombie - who became better known as ROC - studied maths
and science.

It was in the early 1960s at the age of
63 when he claimed to have had a
remarkable encounter with a faun
called Kurmos, who introduced him to
Pan, a magical spirit, at the Royal
Botanic Garden.

Crombie says he was welcomed into a
world of mystical creatures, including
fairies, and he reported their
conversations at length.

In one encounter with Pan, he said they
talked about people being jealous of his

Pan is reported to have told him: “Communicating with my subjects is not a garden game for
the odd half-hour when there is nothing better to do. It is of vital importance for the
survival of mankind.

“Unless humanity comes to realise the dangerous stupidity of outraging nature and stops the
ever-increasing rate of pollution it will ultimately destroy itself.”

Crombie went on to establish the Findhorn Foundation, a spiritual eco-village, in Moray.

Ron said: “ROC was a remarkable guy and it will be fascinating to see if he picked up on
some kind of energy within the Botanies, or had an ability to sense a spiritual force.

“I’ll be taking my dowsing rods, which are very sensitive to this kind of energy, and Gary will
be using his own ability to see into other worlds.

“We’re both hoping something is going on there.”

Robert Ogilvie Crombie

abilities.

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1:28PM BST 07 Apr 201 5

telegraph.co.uk

Wednesday 08 April 2015

Pet dog sets fire to Peckham home as he reaches for biscuits

Staffordshire-boxer cross Leo destroys kitchen of south London home by turning on electric
hob and starting blaze as he tries to reach biscuits

A pet dog set fire to a family home while
hunting for biscuits while his owners
were out.

Leo, a Staffordshire-boxer cross,
managed to turn on the electric hob -
destroying the family's kitchen and
nearly burning down the house.

Grandfather of five Allen Mosey, his
owner, said his family were now having
to live on sandwiches while their
blackened kitchen is repaired.

"You wouldn't think butter would melt in
his mouth, to look at him," he said.

turned on the electric hob

zATURES p ire investigators have concluded the

fire in Peckham, south London, began when Leo turned on the electric hob, causing a child's booster
seat resting on top to catch fire.

Mr Mosey, 67, said there were some biscuits nearby the dog had been trying to reach.

His 21 -year-old son, also called Allen, and his daughter's boyfriend had been upstairs at the time, but
were unaware of the fire until they spotted smoke.

They dialled 999 and then escaped with Leo and the family's other pets -- two turtles, a snake and a
hamster.

Mr Mosey's wife Jean, 45, said: "He is the most docile dog you could think of. He is a part of the family.
We would not part with him."

All the kitchen contents, including white goods, were destroyed in the blaze.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said he was pleased no one was injured.

"It shows just how important it is to keep pets away from naked flames or cooker controls and to make
sure kitchen surfaces and cookers are clear of food and other items that can easily catch fire," he said.

©Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2015

Fire investigators concluded the fire began when the dog turned on the electric hob
Fire investigators concluded the fire began when the

Photo: REX FEATURES Photo: REX

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10:16AM BST 02 Apr 2015

telegraph.co.uk

Friday 03 April 2015

Prepare to wince: man hit in crotch with axe during school physics experiment

Video of a science demonstration at school that went terribly wrong has gone viral after
emerging online

Video has emerged online of a school physics demonstration that went disastrously wrong.

In the clip, which you can watch above, a man lies on the ground while holding a breeze block on his
chest. He is straddled by another man, who holds an axe high above his head before forcibly swinging it
downwards.

In sickening slow-motion, the axe can be seen clipping the breeze block, before following through
straight into the first man's nether regions.

Ball crunching: the axe is seen to
follow through and hit the man in the
crotch

The video, which has received over 1.3
million views since it appeared on
YouTube two days ago, was uploaded
under the title How The Physics Teacher
Lost His Job.

However, there has been some
confusion over the roles of the two men
involved in the demonstration. Contrary
to the video's title, a man who appears
to have been a pupil in the class told
Reddit that the physics teacher was in

"The dude who was hit is the teacher", wrote Haneef Mubarak on the social platform. "He was just
fine - it was a graze - not a full on partitioning. The person holding the axe is a member of staff (either an
assistant principal or a hall monitor) that we asked to come help with the demonstration.

"The teacher walked funny for like a couple of days and then he was just fine."

Mubarak has since uploaded a video of the incident from a second angle. Incredibly, this longer
clip shows that the man on the ground didn't even get up to check himself after receiving the blow,
instead staying in position to attempt the demonstration for a second time.

Now that takes balls.

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PICKLED PUNKS - MARVELS UNDER GLASS

BY J TITHONUS PEDNAUD

Picked Punks have been a part of every well stocked cabinet of curiosity and perhaps the
most controversial of all sideshow exhibits. A ‘Pickled Punk’ is a sideshow term for a
preserved human fetus, usually deformed and usually displayed as a specimen in ajar or
other vessel.

The practice of preserving and displaying prodigious births is centuries old. In the 1600’s King
Frederick III of Denmark has a personal collection of punks numbering in the thousands - a
collection started in the 1500’s by Frederick II. ?During that same timeframe Ulisse
Aldrovandi, an Italian naturalist, had a collection consisting of eighteen thousand various
specimens.

The deformities present in pickled punks are incredibly varied. As varied as the nature of
human inflictions.

The earliest and most well documented pedigree for a deformed punk display dates back to
1 582 when Mme Colombe Chatri died at the age of sixty-eight - and a twenty-eight year old
fetus was removed from her womb. The Stone-Child of Sens should have been born in 1554,
however labor came and went with no delivery and in the resulting decades the fetus was

calcified and ossified within the womb - which actually formed a shell. Mme Chatri seemed to
have lived a normal life, with the exception of regular abdominal pains. Following her death
and the 'delivery' of the Stone-Child - naturalists clamored to claim the fetus and the right to
display the tiny marvel. Jean d’Ailleboust wrote a detailed pamphlet in 1582 - complete with
illustrations - about the case, which became an instant best seller. Pare featured the infant in
his book Des monstres et prodiges and reveals that the child was sold to M. Prestesiegle, a
wealthy merchant in the 1590’s. He sold it to a goldsmith named M. Carteron who in turn sold
it in 1 628 to M. Bodey, a jewel merchant complete with a sort of ‘certificate of authenticity’. In
1653, the Stone-Child came into the possession of King Frederick III as well as a handwritten
copy of the d’Ailleboust paper. By this point, the child was heavily damaged, with both arms
broken and the marble-like skin worn off in places.

The Stone-Child remained in the possession of the Royal Museum for decades, cataloged in
1696, 1710, 1737 and was transferred to the Danish Museum of Natural History in 1826. The
Stone-Child went missing sometime in the late 1800’s - it is believed that is was literally
scrapped by Professor Reinhardt when he was director of the museum as he believed it was
not a ‘scientific display’.

Strangely enough, the Stone-Boy condition - known today as lithopedion - is not all that rare
as some 290 cases exist in modern medical literature.

The classic pickled punk - floating in a jar of preserving fluid - became most popular during
the golden age of sideshow and experienced a great resurgence in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
During that era many punks were linked to drug abuse, at least in the banner lines outside.
Several sideshows featured extensive punk displays - some authentic and others gaffed
(faked). Following this era, laws began to restrict the display of punks. To complicate matters,
laws differed from state to state - making traveling displays almost impossible. Furthermore,
the question of whether punks qualify as 'human remains’ further complicates the laws.

The great modern showman, Ward Hall, once had one of the largest punk shows in the United
States. During one season he was fined due to the fact that the display of human remains
was illegal in the state he had set up his show in. He replaced his punks with rubber replicas
- called ‘bouncers’ - and continued his tour only to be fined again in another state for being a
‘conman’, displaying ‘fakes’ and ‘false advertising’.

While there are still a few stationary legitimate pickled punk shows in the sideshow tradition.
Today the best place to find pickled punks is in research or university laboratories or medical
museums - like the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. The world’s largest collection of pickled
punks, once owned by Peter the Great, is currently on display at the Kuntskammer Museum
in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Image: Late Sideshow owner Captain Harvey Lee Boswell’s favorite Picked Punk

- a fetus with anencephaly -currently for sale at Madame Talbot’s.

thelocal.at

Pig's head hung on
Mosque door in Vienna

Published: 27 Dec 2014
11:06 GMT+01 :00

In a barbaric affront to
Muslim sensibilities, part
of a pig's head and some
pork tripe was attached to
the door of a Mosque in
Vienna's 21st district on
Christmas day.

agency about the incident,

The head of the Turkish-lslamist Union in Vienna (ATIB), Fatih Karada§, condemned the
attack saying that "this is not an attack against Muslims but the whole of humanity. We, as
Muslims, will preserve our calm and collective attitude."

This is not the first incident of its type, as Austria's Muslim community has been attacked
several times this year in similar hate crimes. An Imam Hatip school in Vienna that
concentrates on religious education was also vandalized. A pig's head was left in front of the
school's door during Ramadan in early October.

And in August, a pig's head was impaled on a fence at a construction site for a new islamic
school. It’s not known who left the pig’s head at the centre, but even if someone confesses
there is little the police can do as nothing was damaged and therefore there are no criminal
charges.

The Islamic Federation could make a complaint within civil jurisdiction. Muslims are forbidden
from eating pork or touching pig carcasses, as they are considered unclean.

The planned school has been unpopular in Austria, with Foreign and Integration Minister
Sebastian Kurz saying the idea “is completely the wrong approach".

Another mosque called Eyup Sultan, located in the town of Telfs, was repeatedly vandalized
with graffiti.

In one of the more serious incidents, an elderly Muslim woman was attacked in a bank,
apparently the victim of a hate crime motivated by religious intolerance.

In September, a Muslim woman was attacked by another woman on a train, apparently
because the former was wearing a headscarf.

Pig's head hung on Mosque door in Vienna

The imam of the Kocatepe mosque spoke to the Andadolu press
condemning the vandalism as an "unacceptable" act.

In August two elderly Muslim ladies wearing headscarves were attacked in Favoritenstrafle.
Police were reportedly slow to respond to this incident, and only began questioning suspects
days after.

Austria's Islamic Religious Community Association said that Muslims often experience
discrimination in Austria but that “it is not well documented”.

Spokeswoman Carla Amina Baghajati said that the association plans to start collecting data
on all religiously motivated incidents. However, she said she did not believe that the police
lacked sensitivity to the issue.

The Infamous Dan Seavey, Pirate of Lake Michigan,

When one typically thinks of pirates, a peg legged, eye patched. Long John Silvers type Caribbean
pirate comes to mind. After the all the most famous pirates tend to follow the stereotype, Caribbean
pirates such as Blackbeard, Bartholomew Roberts, Captain Kid, and Jack Rackham. However pirates
come from many different backgrounds and many different eras in history. For example, around the
13th century BC large migrating groups of ancient Semitic and Indo-European sea raiders called the
“sea peoples” sacked entire cities and looted empires with bronze weapons. The Vikings were pirates
too, raiding and looting as far north as Scandinavia and as far South as Egypt. In the Indian Ocean
today, pirates have traded in their cutlasses and flintlocks for assault rifles and RPGs, raiding large
cargo ships such as the famous Maersk Alabama.

Like most other bodies of water, the Great Lakes too become a hotbed of piracy. In the early 20th
century a little known freshwater pirate named “Roaring” Dan Seavey earned a reputation as the
greatest pirate on the Great Lakes. Born in Portland, Maine in 1 865, Seavey never seemed to have
much luck as also of his business ventures failed miserably. In 1898 he left his family in Milwaukee in
search of fortune during the Great Klondike Gold Rush. He returned as broke and broken as ever. It
was then that Seavey somehow acquired ownership of a schooner named Wanderer, originally built for
the Pabst family of the Pabst Brewing Company. At first Seavey was an honest man, tr ansporting
cargo across Lake Michigan with his ship, but then Seavey began to realize that he could make much
more money by turning to crime and piracy. While Lake Michigan might not seem as treasure filled as
the Spanish Main, in reality there were a lot of riches to be had, as ships imported precious goods such
as animal pelts and liquor from Canada, gold shipments between banks in Chicago and Michigan, and
payroll shipments to the iron mines in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

Between 1900 and 1908 Roaring Dan Seavey sailed across Lake Michigan, raiding and plundering with
the law on his tail. At first Seavey would merely sneak into ports at night, stealing cargo from
warehouses and docked ships. Then he adopted a more aggressive approach, raiding and boarding
ships in the open waters. One of his most famous tactics was a trick called “moon cussing”, where he
would alter the lights on his ships to look like guide lights, causing ships to crash on the rocks or
become grounded on sandbars. He would then forcefully board the ship, steal the cargo, and resell then
cargo elsewhere. Seavey also made money in other seedy trades such as smuggling bootleg liquor and
believe it or not, illegal venison. Some of his greatest profits were in illegal poaching and the
smuggling of venison. When a company called Booth Fisheries tried to cut into the illegal venison
trade, Seavey sank one of their ships with cannon, killing all on board. Seavey was not a good man by
any means, typically any women who were captured were sold into illegal prostitution, and there are
stories that Seavey often abducted women from ports and isolated towns for profit.

In 1908 Seavey made his biggest score yet with the capture of the Nellie Johnson. He and his fellow
pirates plied the crew with whiskey and liquor. When the men of the Nellie Johnson were good and
drunk, he and his pirates threw them overboard and stole the ship. The plunder of the Nellie Johnson
was Seavey’s last big score, on September 8th, 1908, he and his men were arrested by the US Revenue
Cutter Service (the precursor to the Coast Guard), and hauled in chains to Chicago for trial.

Amazingly, the prosecutors could make few of the charges stick, and when the owner of the Nellie
Johnson failed to appear in court, the law had no choice but to set Seavey free.

After his arrest, Dan Seavey finally did go straight, ironically become a US Marshal in order to fight
piracy and smuggling on the Great Lakes. He retired in the late 1920’s, and died in 1949 at the age of
84

Cruel smuggler caught with 105 exotic animals stuffed in
suitcase at airport

mirror.co.uk

. 15:41, 3 April 2015
• By Will Stewart

The menagerie of exotic animals had been flown 6,515 miles from Indonesia to
Moscow via the Middle East

Customs seized 55 snakes, 35 lizards,
seven turtles, six lemurs, and two
monkeys all stuffed into the suitcase of
a female traveller, it was revealed
today.

Two baby crocodiles died en route from
Jakarta to Moscow but a suspected
leopard was also among the frightened
survivors after the 6,515 mile ordeal.

The hungry and exhausted animals
were discovered by customs officials at
female passenger who had flown from

In the bag, carried on the hold of the aircraft, there were 55 snakes, 35 lizards, seven turtles,
six lemurs, and two monkeys.

Domodedovo airport when they scanned the bag of a
Indonesia to Moscow via Qatar.

Caught: Six lemurs were among the
frightened survivors

"The animals were packed in tiny cages
and plastic boxes and each snake was
in small bag made of cloth," said
spokeswoman Larisa Ledovskikh.

Experts are trying to identify the
"amazingly beautiful kitten with bright
green eyes and stripes".

Officials in Moscow suspect it is a
leopard cub, a species which is listed in

If true, the woman - who was held in detention pending a decision on any charges - faces up
to seven years in jail.

Caught: Six lemurs were among the frightened survivors

the Red Book of endangered animals.

Sad: Two baby crocodiles died en route from Jakarta to Moscow

Sad: Two baby crocodiles died en route
from Jakarta to Moscow

"It was a sad scene - exhausted
monkeys, scared lemurs, the begging
green eyes of a beautiful "cat"," wrote
newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets.

The animal courier claimed she had
bought the animals for $200 USD in a
market in Indonesia.

She "for future breeding", she told
customs.

Russia has seen examples of smuggled animals sold on the black market for private zoos of
wealthy people.

Smuggled: In the bag customs found
55 snakes, 35 lizards, seven turtles, six
lemurs, and two monkeys

After being impounded, the hungry and
exhausted creatures were handed over
to employees of Moscow 'Exotic Park'
where they will be cared for until their
future is decided.

A handler from the park held the
animals for the customs pictures
(attached) which will be used as
evidence in the case.

"Experts will check the animals and calculate the price of each one," said the spokeswoman.

"They will also establish if any of these animals are under protection of the international
convention on rare species."

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Smuggled: In the bag customs found 55 snakes, 35 lizards, seven
turtles, six lemurs, and two monkeys

Police investigating 'plan to smuggle thieving dwarf out of UK in

plane luggage' mirror.co.uk

Dorn Apetrei > Romani in Londra

14mms r

Buna seara! Am am un prieten pilic. are 96cm. A
facut multe tampenii pe aici. a spart o benzinarie
in elefant&castle, niste locuinte in seven king, 3
sau A. mai cu carduri... Dar nu vreau sa intru in
detalii! Ideea e ca e urmarit aici si vrea sa piece in
romania... Stiind ca eu plec pe 11 acuma. mi a
propus sa il bag in bagaj, si pune si el la bilet. plus
plateste bagajul la cala( mi se pare si normal)!
Exista riscul sa fiu depistat? Si dace da... Ce pot
pati? Piticul e maior( are 30 de ani)

CEN/ Getty

Police are investigating an alleged plot
to smuggle a 'thieving dwarf' out of the
UK - as plane luggage.

UK-based Romanian Doru Apetrei
posted a Facebook message to people
in his homeland, asking them to help
him smuggle the man known only as
"the midget" out of the country.

Writing in a closed group for
Romanians who are living in the UK,
the 36-year-old posted: "Good evening!
I've got a midget friend, 38 inches tall.

"He’s done a lot of stupid stuff here: he broke into a gas station in Elephant & Castle, also into
some houses in Seven King (3 or 4), and he’s done some cards.

"But I won’t go into details! He’s being looked for here and wants to go back to Romania.

"He knows I’m leaving on the 1 1th [of March], so he suggested I put him in my luggage.

"He’ll add some money to my ticket and extra for the luggage (which is normal, I think!).

"Is there any risk of me getting caught? And if so, what can happen to me? The midget is an
adult (he’s 30)."

Bizarre Plan: Doru Apetrei posted a message on Facebook to help 'smuggle a dwarf out of
the UK'

The message appeared last week but only made public in the last few days after it was
spotted by Romanian media.

It was deleted hours later but not before he received replies slamming the idea.

Romanian police confirmed they were investigating after several people had highlighted the
man’s request and one person had filed an official complaint.

Police spokesman Sorin lonescu said: “ We are aware of the matter and are looking into it,
and will be passing on the information we have to our British colleagues.”

Scotland Yard also said they were aware of the web-posting and would act on information
from Romania.

It was unclear if “ the midget” had actually fled Britian.

The original message didn't find much support on Facebook.

Ion Miron posted: “You only risk getting arrested.”

Nicolae Badea wrote: “I don't think you should help thieves who make a bad name for us hard
working Romanians.”

While Radu Banica added: “How stupid can you be to ask that? Are you serious?”

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Police: Couple Allegedly Fled To Mexico After Attempting To
Resurrect 2-Year-Old Child

cbslocal.com

April 2, 2015 8:38 PM

BALCH SPRINGS (CBS 11 NEWS) - The search is on for a local couple police said tried to
bring their toddler back to life before heading for the border.

A police lieutenant told CBS1 1 that this was the by far the strangest case his department has
ever had to investigate in Balch Springs.

According to police, officers showed up at a home located in the 12000 block of Duke Drive
on March 26 to do a welfare check. Officers were told a 2-year old child had died and a “rising
ceremony" had been performed for the child at the home four days earlier in an attempt to
resurrect him. According to those living in the home, the house served as a church.

“We don't know if this was to try and resurrect the spirit of he child and we don't know if this
was to try and resurrect the child themselves or what exactly that service or ceremony
encompasses,” said Lt. Mark Maret.

The day after the ceremony the child’s body was taken to Mexico for burial by the parents
and other members of the church. Detectives have not been able to find the parents or
anyone else who took the child out of the country.

Neighbors are just as baffled as police.

“It’s just kind of scary. The kids know all of it, they hear everyone talking about it,” said Jean
T urnipseed. “I’m surprised they didn’t investigate it earlier.”

Authorities said the tip didn’t come in, however, until four days after the child’s death. Police
are not releasing any names as they continue to investigate the case as a homicide,
alongside other local, state and federal agencies. Until they find the boy’s body or his parents,
the case is wide open.

“This is all new, that’s why we are pulling in a lot of other agencies and their resources and
their knowledge and assistance in this investigation,” said Maret.

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Poltergeist at Amityville? - CSI

csicop.org

Volume 24.3, Fall 2014

On December 18, 1975, George and Kathy Lutz and their three children moved into a six-bedroom
Dutch colonial home in Amityville, New York. But soon they were driven out, they claimed, by horrific
supernatural forces. Ghosts? A poltergeist? Demons? Let’s take a look, as new claims continue to
surface.

The Horror Tale

The Lutzes lasted just twenty-eight days before fleeing the house, reportedly leaving behind their
possessions except for a few changes of clothes. Just three weeks later, they were telling an incredible
tale.

The Lutzes claimed they had been attacked by sinister forces that ripped open a two-hundred-fifty-
pound door, leaving it hanging from one hinge; threw open windows, bent their locks, and wrenched a
banister from its fastenings; caused green slime to ooze from a ceiling; slid drawers rapidly back and
forth; flipped a crucifix upside down; caused Kathy to levitate off the bed and turned her, briefly, into a
wrinkled, toothless, drooling ninety-year-old crone; peered into the house at night with red eyes and left
cloven-hooved tracks in the snow outside; infested a room in mid-winter with hundreds of houseflies;
moved a four-foot ceramic statue of a lion about the house; produced cold spots and stenches; and
caused other ostensibly paranormal phenomena, including speaking in a masculine voice, “Get out\"

These claims were detailed in the book, The Amityville Horror: A True Story, by Jay Anson (1977).
However, the tale was a suspicious admixture of phenomena: part traditional haunting, part poltergeist
disturbance, part demonic possession, with elements curiously similar to those from the movie The
Exorcist thrown in for good measure.

In fact, the story soon began to fall apart, and in time a civil trial yielded evidence that the reputed events
were mostly fiction.

‘Poltergeist’ Antics?

Although claims in The Amityville Horror book and movie once seemed to have been laid to rest, in 2013
the case resurfaced again. This time the oldest child of the troubled family, Daniel Lutz, who was nine at
the time of the brouhaha, has come forward to claim the essential story was true and that he and his
stepfather George had been “possessed.”

A documentary, My Amityville Horror (2013), focuses on Daniel, who revises discredited material. For
example, he says that on the day the family moved into the house, while carrying boxes into one room,
“there was [sic] probably four- or five-hundred flies.” He says he killed them by swatting them with a
newspaper, but that when his mother came the dead flies had disappeared. This leaves one wondering
whether he had simply made up the incident. Again Daniel tells how a window smashed down on his
hand, causing it to swell to several times its size before it quickly returned to normal. That is, of course,
unlikely in the extreme.

In fact, such scenes raise the possibility that many of the alleged incidents — which some have described
as “poltergeist” effects — could have been staged or falsely reported by Daniel. For instance, according to
The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (1977, p. 28), Daniel and the other children were suspected by their
mother of having blackened a toilet bowl by throwing paint into it.

Daniel Lutz certainly had a motive to play poltergeist. Like other unhappy children who secretly act out
their hostility, he was unhappy with his situation and wanted to effect change. Daniel hated his

stepfather, calling him “the biggest f—ing a e you could ever meet,” and boasted that he was glad he

was dead. An ex-Marine, George was, according to Daniel, a violent disciplinarian who beat him. And so
he admits, “I started destroying this guy's world every opportunity that I walked into” and would “just do
anything to get him” so that “we could go back home.”

Throughout the documentary, Daniel Lutz retells many of the now-familiar Amityville incidents in
elaborate fashion, often claiming things happened to him that were previously attributed to his parents.
Distinguished psychologist (and CSI Fellow) Elizabeth Loftus explains on camera how people can fill in
gaps in their memory with exaggerations and even outright additions, so as to make things seem more
dramatic and interesting. At the end of the video, Daniel is asked by the director if he will take a lie
detector test. Fie refuses. His younger brother and sister do not appear to endorse his claims: they
declined to be interviewed for the documentary.

Revelations

Unfortunately for both the possession claim and the poltergeist-mimicking hypothesis, however, there is
much better evidence as to what really happened at Amityville: the tale was mostly deliberate fiction.
Some of the reported events were simply made up, while others were exaggerations of mundane
occurrences.

William Weber — an attorney seeking a new trial for his client, who had murdered his parents and siblings
in the Amityville house the previous year — admitted colluding with the Lutzes on a book deal. Weber told
the Lutzes, for example, how one murder victim's body had lain in the room for over eighteen hours,
yielding a stench and maggots; the Lutzes subsequently developed this for their demonic tale, using
what Weber calls their “creative imagination.” Again, Weber says he showed the couple numerous crime-
scene photographs, some of which revealed “black gook” in the toilet bowls, which he attributed to police
fingerprint powder. Weber says that he and the Lutzes “created this horror story over many bottles of
wine that George Lutz was drinking.” (See Kaplan and Kaplan 1995, 174-86, and Nickell 1995, 122.)

Additional, clear evidence that major events in The Amityville Horror did not occur came from
researchers Rick Moran and Peter Jordan (1978) who discovered, for example, that there had been no
snowfall at the time the Lutzes allegedly discovered cloven hoof prints in the snow. Other claims were
similarly disproved (Kaplan and Kaplan 1995).

Still More Revelations

On three occasions I talked with Barbara Cromarty who, with her husband James, purchased the house
after it was given up by the Lutzes. She told me not only that her family had experienced no supernatural
occurrences in the house, but that she had evidence the whole affair was a hoax. Subsequently, I
recommended that a producer of the then-forthcoming TV series That's Incredible, who had called for
my advice about filming inside the house, should have Mrs. Cromarty point out various discrepancies for
close-up viewing. For example, recalling the extensive damage to doors and windows detailed by the
Lutzes, she noted that the old hardware — hinges, locks, doorknobs, etc. — was still in place. Upon close
inspection one could see that there were no disturbances in the paint and varnish (Nickell 1995).

A transcript of the September 1979 trial of George and Kathy Lutz vs. Paul Floffman — Hoffman being
perhaps the first writer to publish an account of the Amityville happenings — reveals the Lutzes' admission
that virtually everything in The Amityville Horror was pure fiction (Stein 1993, 63). Indeed, Newsday
columnist Ed Lowe observes: “It had to have been a setup since Day 1. The day after the Lutzes fled,
supposedly in terror, they returned to hold a garage sale — just lots of junk. It was obvious they hadn't
moved in there [the $80,000 house] with anything worth anything.” Lowe added, confirming the findings
of other investigators, “And during the entire 28-day ‘siege' that drove them from the house, they never
once called the police” (quoted in Peterson 1982). Lowe should know: His father was the Amityville police
chief at the time of the alleged demonic events.

References

Anson, Jay. 1977. The Amity ville Horror: A True Story. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Kaplan, Stephen, and Roxanne Saleh Kaplan. 1995. The Amityville Horror Conspiracy. Lacyville, PA:
Belfrey Books.

Moran, Rick, and Peter Jordan. 1978. The Amityville horror hoax. Fate May: 44-45.

My Amityville Horror. 2013. A Lost Witness Pictures Production, aired on Sundance NOW , March 17.

Nickell, Joe. 1995. Entities: Angels, Spirits, Demons, and Other Alien Beings. Amherst, NY: Prometheus
Books.

Peterson, Clarence. 1982. Demonologists hellbent on selling ‘Amityville II.' Chicago Tribune (September
23).

Stein, Gordon, ed. 1993. Encyclopedia of Hoaxes, Detroit: Gale Research.

Joe Nickell

Joe Nickell, Ph.D., is Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI)
and "Investigative Files" Columnist for Skeptical Inquirer. Aformer stage magician, private
investigator, and teacher, he is author of numerous books, including Inquest on the Shroud
of Turin (1998), Pen, Ink and Evidence (2003), Unsolved History (2005) and Adventures in
Paranormal Investigation (2007). He has appeared in many television documentaries and
has been profiled in The New Yorker and on NBC's Today Show. His personal website is at

joenickell.com.

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thelocal.es

Priest arrested for exorcism on anorexic girl

Published: 18 Mar 2015 12:29 GMT+01:00

A priest has been arrested in Burgos for performing repeated exorcisms on an underage girl
suffering from anorexia.

A judge in Burgos has called for the arrest of exorcist, Jesus Hernandez Sahagun, along with the girl's
priest after she went through 13 exorcisms while still a minor.

Sahagun, the official exorcist of Valladolid, is facing charges of gender violence, causing injury and
mistreatment according to local newspaper, Diario de Burgos, and has been asked to make a statement
on the events.

The events date back to 2012, when the girl began to suffer from anorexia. According to El Pafs, her
religious parents became convinced she was possessed by the devil and decided to have their child
exorcised.

She was tied up and had crucifixes positioned over her head, according to El Pafs.

The girl subsequently attempted suicide and an investigation was launched after her aunts and uncles
filed a complaint.

In a statement the girl's parents told the court that the exorcist was aware that the young girl was in
medical treatment at the time and had full access to her clinical records.

The priest reportedly assured the parents that the exorcism would not interfere with their daughter's
medical treatment, but voiced disapproval of the number of medicines the girl had been prescribed.

In an interview with El Mundo in December 2014, Hernandez Sahagun defended the 13 exorcisms,
explaining the girl was "possessed by the devil". He also told the Spanish newspaper that he had
performed 200 exorcisms over the past four and a half years.

In December 2014, the archbishop of Burgos issued a statement saying "the young woman's suicide
attempt was not a result of the exorcisms practiced on her."

He also defended exorcisms as "a religious practice maintained as part of the Church's tradition, as a
right available to all the faithful."

In July 2014, Pope Francis made exorcisms official Catholic practice, with the Vatican hailing them as "a
form of charity".

There are currently around 15 priests in Spain with Church authorization to conduct exorcisms and in
2013 a specialist exorcism squad was chosen in Madrid to tackle the "unprecented rise in demonic
possession"

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Prince Andrew 'and the underage sex slave’: Palace denial as
Duke of York named in court documents

mirror.co.uk

Prince Andrew took part in an orgy with underage girls on his tycoon pal's private Caribbean
island, a woman has sensationally claimed.

The 29-year-old has accused the royal's friend Jeffrey Epstein of turning her into a sex slave
who he allegedly "loaned" out to the prince three times when she was 17.

And the woman claims British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of late media mogul
Robert Maxwell, helped the American banker “procure underaged girls for sexual activities”.

Furious Buckingham Palace officials last night denied the shock allegations, made in US
court papers.

Ghislaine Maxwell has previously denied the claims and has said she had never been
questioned by the police over them.

the denial.

Prince Andrew in Navy Uniform in 1986

The document filed by the alleged victim, known only as Jane Doe
#3, named the prince, 54, as one of the men Epstein provided her to
between 1999 and 2002.

She claims the tycoon flew her to his US Virgin Island, Little St
James, where the age of consent is 18.

The paper alleges: "Epstein's purposes in 'lending' Jane Doe (along
with other young girls) to such powerful people were to ingratiate
himself with them for business, personal, political, and financial gain,
as well as to obtain potential blackmail information.

"Epstein also sexually trafficked the then minor Jane Doe, making her
available for sex to politically connected and financially powerful people."

Referring to dad-of-two Andrew, the paper says: "Jane Doe #3 was forced to have sexual
relations with this prince when she was a minor in three separate locations: in London (at
Ghislaine Maxwell’s apartment), New York, and on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin
Islands (in an orgy with numerous other underaged girls)."

The accusation is contained in a motion filed on Tuesday in a Florida court as part of a long
running lawsuit by the woman who accuses Epstein of sexual abuse.

A spokesman for Andrew, who is thought to be skiing in Switzerland, said last night: "This
relates to long-standing and ongoing civil proceedings in the United States, to which The

She last night repeated

Rex

Duke of York is not a party.

"As such we would not comment on the detail.

"However, for the avoidance of doubt, any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is
categorically untrue."

The prince has previously been pictured with Virginia Roberts, thought to have been one of
Epstein’s victims.

The papers do not name Andrew as a party in the legal claim.

But they do name Maxwell as an alleged "primary co-conspirator in his (Epstein's) sexual
abuse and sex trafficking scheme" and claims she took part in the abuse.

The alleged victim, who is believed to now live in Australia, claims her first contact with
Epstein began when she was approached by Ghislaine, now 53, in 1999.

Prince Andrew at the Royal Ascot race meeting in Berkshire

The document reads: "Perhaps even more important to her role in
Epstein’s sexual abuse ring, Maxwell had direct connections to other
powerful individuals with whom she could connect Epstein.

"For instance, one such powerful individual Epstein forced Jane Doe
#3 to have sexual relations with was a member of the British royal
family, Prince Andrew.

"Maxwell facilitated Prince Andrew's act of sexual abuse by acting as
a madame’ for Epstein, thereby assisting in internationally trafficking
Jane Doe #3 (and numerous other young girls) for sexual purposes."

A spokesman for Maxwell - whose disgraced father owned the Mirror
before his death in 1981 after the pension fund had been plundered - said: "Ghislaine's
original response to the claims remains the same.

"She strongly denies allegations of an unsavoury nature."

The alleged victim accused Epstein of abusing her in his private jet or his homes in New
York, New Mexico, Florida and the US Virgin Islands.

In 2008 Epstein, who counts Bill Clinton and Donald Trump as his friends, was convicted of
soliciting an underage girl for prostitution and jailed for 18 months.

It came following an FBI sting two years earlier after agents were tipped off he had been
paying for sex with underage girls at his Florida home for years.

Within 11 months federal prosecutors had identified 40 women who may have been procured
by him.

Rex

He served just over a year in jail before being released under house arrest for the remaining
part of his sentence.

Andrew and Epstein had been longstanding friends often holidaying together and visiting
each other's homes.

The billionaire once stayed for a weekend party at Sandringham, the Queen's Norfolk home,
and was a guest at her birthday party in 2000 at Windsor.

In 2001 he holidayed with the prince in Thailand, when Andrew was photographed
surrounded by topless women on a yacht.

Despite Epstein's conviction and to the embarrassment of Buckingham Palace, Andrew
carried on seeing him after he was released.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, arrives at the Royal Albert Hall in
London

The pair were spotted strolling through Central Park in New York
together, sparking anger which eventually led to the prince stepping
down from his role as Britain’s trade envoy. Andrew has previously
been accused of meeting Epstein’s victims and possibly being aware
of the sexual exploitation.

However, this is the first time he has been named in a court -
document as allegedly taking part in any sexual activity with one of
the women claimed to have been trafficked.

Four years ago in an article in Vanity Fair, the prince was forced to
deny any sexual contact with women associated with Epstein.

A year later the banker's former housekeeper Juan Alessi claimed the prince had enjoyed
regular rub-downs at the tycoon's Palm Beach house in 2001.

It was claimed Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson also visited the mansion.

She is accused of no wrongdoing.

Jane Doe #3’s claims against the Duke of York came after she joined three women in a
lawsuit against prosecutors.

They claim attorneys broke the law by failing to consult victims before signing a plea deal.

It is understood that without a plea bargain, Epstein would have faced 10 to 15 years in
prison.

Last year the two original claimants, Jane Doe #1 and Jane Doe #2, won a crucial legal
victory in being granted permission to see confidential documents relating to the plea deal.

Other close associates of Epstein who are accused in the lawsuit are Harvard Law School
professor Alan Dershowitz and a French model scout Jean Luc Brunei.

Mr Dershowitz claims the woman's accusations against himself were "totally false and made
up".

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Why You Should Check Under The Bed, In The Closet And
Behind The Shower Curtain Every Night

The Huffington Post | By Hilary Hanson huffingtonpOSt.com

Posted: 03/20/2015 11:33 am EDT Updated: 03/20/2015 3:59 pm EDT

Do your friends, lovers and family members mock you
for your compulsion to check your home’s every nook
and cranny (including cupboards and the oven because
come on, what if it’s a really tiny burglar?!) for intruders
before you go to bed?

A 61 -year-old woman was simply looking for her cats
when she reached under the bed at her Palm Springs,
Florida home Tuesday night, the Sun Sentinel reports.

Christian vatovec Instead of her lovable furballs or a couple of jingly toys,

the woman — whose name has not been released — “touched human skin," a police report
obtained by the Sentinel said.

The man under the bed, who police later identified as 25-year-old Christian Vatovec, fled the
scene. He is accused of taking a gold anklet and a digital camera, and is facing charges of
burglary, grand theft and resisting arrest.

If this story isn’t enough justification to double check your living quarters every night, just
close your eyes and think about the man who slept more than eight hours without realizing
there was an 8-foot crocodile just underneath his mattress. If that still doesn’t get you,
consider the fact that in 201 1 , a Guatemalan woman’s home was destroyed by a sinkhole
that started under her own bed.

Also, flick the lights on and off three times. Just to make sure you don’t die.

Like Us On Facebook |

Contact The Author

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1/29/2015

Randy ghosts prowl Welsh roads to seduce drivers, paranormal author claims - Mirror Online

Sexy ghost seducing Welsh drivers

mirror.co.uk

Randy ghosts prowl Welsh roads to seduce drivers, paranormal author claims

• 20:45, 18 January 2015

• By Hayley Coyle

Ghostly erotica writer Gavin Davies claims he was approached by a man who had been
wooed by a saucy ghost

Spooky sex: Saucy hitch 'hiking ghosts'
are reportedly seducing drivers on
Welsh highways

Sexy hitchhiking ghosts could be
seducing lonely travellers on a busy
road near Swansea, a paranormal
investigator has claimed.

Gavin Davies, the author of Ghost Sex,
says he is looking into a series of
nightmarish incidents where
unsuspecting drivers are lured into sex
situations with good-looking ghouls .

One of them involved a local man who told Mr Davies he was tricked by a figure disguised as
a beautiful woman hitchhiking on the A40.

He said; "I was approached by a man who did not want to be identified because it could
expose him to ridicule, who told me he picked up a hitchhiker who turned out to be a ghost
that seduced him, Wales Online reports.

"Now, I’m aware that stuff like this is often intended as erotica and people have fantasies
about it. And at first I thought it was a wind up call. But this man genuinely believed he was
seduced by a paranormal entity.

"He said that he was driving back from a date that hadn't gone as planned.

"He saw a beautiful woman on the side of the road and he picked her up."

According to Wales Online Mr Davies said the man, known as "John", then pulled over and
took the mysterious woman into a public toilet.

He said the ghost then ravished John in terms too graphic to describe.

http://www.mi rror .co.uk/new s/w ei rd-news/randy- ghosts- prowl -w el s h-r oads-5001 208

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1/29/2015

Randy ghosts prowl Welsh roads to seduce drivers, paranormal author claims - Mirror Online

The man then told Mr Davies: "Then I started to smell something strange, at first I thought it
was like a cigarette smell.

"I was choking, and I thought I was going to die. I was crying and everything. I was passing
out.

"I just wanted a policeman to start banging on the window and save me.

"I pushed her back with all my force and there was not a pretty girl on me but some haggard,
disgusting old woman with some kind of awful skin condition.

"I just screamed and screamed and she just vanished."

Mr Davies said he believes the man could have been affected by sleep paralysis after
nodding off.

Sleep paralysis is a condition where the victim feels wide awake but is unable to move a
muscle.

It is often accompanied by delusions of being watched by a menacing presence.

"In the renaissance era they believed that the paralysis was caused by succubi, who would
seduce people while they were asleep," Mr Davies said.

His book “Ghost Sex" has already sold 3,000 copies online and topped supernatural charts
on the Amazon Kindle store.

He is also the editor of Paranormal Chronicles, a website that looks into suspected sightings
of ghosts and UFOs.

Mr Davies said: "Writing this book has taken its toll on me.

"This is just one account, and many of the others are far more graphic and quite traumatic to
research.

"It is certainly the last time I will write a book about ghost sex."

http://w ww .mi rror .co.uk/ new s/w ei rd-news/randy- ghosts- prowl -w el s h-r oads-5001 208

2/2

1/11/2015

Rare Butterfly is Half Male, Half Female

Rare Butterfly Is Half Male, Half Female

livescience.com

by Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer | January 08, 2015 08:14am ET

gynandromorph butterfly

The live Lexias pardais was a shocking delight when it was spotted in the Academy’s
Butterflies! exhibit.

Credit: Isa Betancourt/ AN SP
View full size image

An unusual butterfly that is half male and half female recently caught the eyes of a volunteer
at a butterfly exhibit at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Chris Johnson, a retired chemical engineer from Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, was
volunteering at the exhibit when he stumbled across the unusual sight.

Johnson noticed that the insect's two right wings were typical of the females of its species —
they were larger, and brown with yellow and white spots. But its two left wings were smaller
and darker, with splashes of green, blue and purple, a pattern characteristic of males.

"I thought, somebody's fooling with me. It's just too perfect," Johnson said in a statement.
"Then I got goose bumps." [Image Gallery: Stunning Dual-Sex Animals]

Johnson spotted the creature while emptying out the butterfly exhibit's pupa chamber, where
the insects hatch from their chrysalises and cocoons. "It slowly opened up, and the wings
were so dramatically different, it was immediately apparent what it was," he said.

Johnson and his supervisor, exhibit coordinator David Schloss, isolated the butterfly and
contacted Entomology Collection Manager Jason Weintraub.

A butterfly expert later confirmed that the remarkable insect was a Common Archduke
butterfly ( Lexias paidalis) with a rare condition called gynandromorphy, which means
outwardly having both male and female characteristics. (This is distinct from
hermaphroditism, in which an organism has both male and female reproductive organs, but
has external characteristics of one gender.)

http://w ww .1 i vesci ence.com/49364- half-m al e-half- fem al e-butterf I y.htm I

1/2

1/11/2015

Rare Butterfly is Half Male, Half Female

The condition is most commonly noticed in birds and butterflies, whose two sexes can have
very different coloration, Weintraub said. It can occur when the sex chromosomes fail to
separate during cell division in early development, a process known as nondisjunction. As a
result of this failure, some of the animal's cells have a female genotype, and others have a
male genotype, giving rise to an animal with both male and female characteristics.

Because gynandromorphy can be easily overlooked in species in which the two sexes look
similar to each other, scientists don't know how rare the condition is.

The butterfly that Johnson found is a member of a species belonging the family Nymphalidae,
commonly known as "brush-footed" butterflies, and it lives in tropical rainforests of Southeast
Asia. It was shipped in October 2014, in a group of pupas from a sustainable butterfly farm on
Penang Island in Malaysia, according to the academy staff.

Differences between the males and females of any species result from a process called
sexual selection, in which one gender (usually females) select mates of the other gender
based on the presence of certain traits, which become passed from generation to generation
over thousands of years.

The rare butterfly was preserved and pinned, and will be on display at the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Drexel University for visitors to see from Jan. 17 through Feb. 16, the
academy staff said.

Editor's Note: If you have an amazing butterfly photo you'd like to share for a possible story
or image gallery, please contact managing editor Jeanna Bryner
at LSphotos@livescience.com.

http://w ww .1 i vesci ence.com/49364- half-m al e-half- fem al e-butterfl y.htm I

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Real Animals and Mythical Counterparts

mppon.com

Real

Animals

and

Mythical

Counterparts

[2015.03.24]

A number of real animals take their English-language names from mythical creatures. Take
Indonesia’s Komodo dragon, which drew comparisons to the fabled fiery lizard. And explorers
called the blood-drinking bats they discovered in South America “vampire bats” after
supernatural beings from European legend. (It was only later that bats became incorporated
into and ultimately a central part of the vampire mythology.)

In the same way, some of the best-known fantastic creatures in Japanese culture share their
names with animals. Here are a few.

Tapirs Ate My Nightmares!

Painting of a baku by Hokusai (1760-1849).

The baku is a mythical creature described as having the trunk of an
elephant, the eyes of a rhino, the tail of an ox, the paws of a tiger,
and the body of a bear. It has its origins in China, but when it made
its way from the continent to the Japanese archipelago it gained a
new characteristic — the ability to devour bad dreams. The Chinese
baku was only said to ward off evil.

At the time of the hatusyume, or first dream of the year, it was so
important to ensure auspicious visions that many Edo period (1603-
1868) Japanese enlisted the baku in their efforts. Putting a picture of
the lucky “treasure ship” of the Seven Gods of Fortune under one’s
head while sleeping was part of a ritual to prevent a nightmare
ruining the year ahead. Depicting an image of the baku (or its kanji,
on the sail of this vessel was thought to provide even more protection.

Painting of a baku by Hokusai
( 1760 - 1849 ).

In Japanese, the tapir is also named baku after the mythical creature, as its long snout is
reminiscent of the latter’s “elephant’s trunk." Visit a zoo in Japan, though, and you’ll see that
the animal’s name is usually written in kana as J\9 . Nonetheless, the linguistic similarity has
led to tapirs to some extent taking on dream-eating characteristics in the popular imagination,
just as bats infiltrated the vampire legend.

An Auspicious Giraffe

Painting of the giraffe presented to the Yongle Emperor.

The kirin is another chimerical creature originally from China.
Resembling the unicorn with its single horn, it is one of the four
major sacred animals in Chinese mythology, alongside the
dragon, phoenix, and turtle. Due to the beast’s associations
with sagacity and talent, in Japanese the phrase kirinji ( kirin -
children) refers to prodigies of whom much is expected. But it
is perhaps most prominent today as the logo for Kirin beer.

Rarely seen, its appearances indicate the presence of a

righteous leader on the throne. When admiral and explorer

Zheng He brought a giraffe back to China from Africa in the

Painting of the giraffe presented to the fjft een th century, the Yongle Emperor saw enough of a
Yongle Emperor. a k a

resemblance to the kirin (in Chinese, qilin) in the exotic beast

to use it to shore up his legitimacy. As the emperor had risen to power through a rebellion,

the boost to his authority was very welcome.

For this reason, giraffes are still known as kirin in Japanese today and girin in Korean.
However, the direct association has been lost in China, where the African animals are today
called changjinglu, literally “long-necked deer.”

Rainmakers Protecting Castles

Osaka Castle’s shachihoko.

A third legendary beast is the shachihoko, sometimes known in its
abbreviated form as the shachi. This sea creature has the body of a
fish and the head of a tiger — its kanji, M, neatly combines fish (#,)
with tiger (^). It is most commonly seen adorning the roofs of
Japanese castles — the most famous examples being the gold
shachihoko in Nagoya and Osaka — due to a belief that it could
summon rain to deal with potentially devastating fires.

The orca, or killer whale, also known as the shachi, shares the same
kanji. It was venerated by the Ainu and other northern peoples and
credited with supernatural powers similar to those of the weather-
controlling fabulous beast. Although it is not fully clear whether one was directly named after
the other, they are now firmly linked by their shared pronunciation and written form.

(Shachihoko photo courtesy Flickr userjsteph.)

• Richard Medhurst

• [ By this author: 16 Latest posted: 2015.03.24 ]

Translator and editor, Nippon.com. Received a master's degree in modern and contemporary
poetry from the University of Bristol in 2002. First came to Japan in the same year and taught
English for three years in Chiba Prefecture. He has also lived in China and Korea. Worked in
Imizu City Hall in Toyama Prefecture for five years until 2013, when he moved to Tokyo and
started full-time translation. Joined Nippon.com in 2014.

Is Dracula Real? I Went To Transylvania To Find Out

refinery29.com

I Went To Romania In Search Of Dracula — & Here's What I Found

Brasov, Romania

“Why did you come to Romania?” a taxi driver in Bucharest
asks as we sit scrunched in his backseat. “We’re looking for
Dracula,” I say, aware of the ridiculousness of the statement.

He only laughs. Outside the taxi windows, the city hangs under
a cloud of fog, one that doesn’t lift for most of our trip. It’s the
sort of fog that seems fake and makes all your photos look like
they’ve been clouded with a Instagram filter. Dracula isn’t here
in Bucharest under all the fog, though. He is elusive, even if
you come to the Eastern European country specifically in
search of him.

Surprisingly, Romania is one of the only countries in the world that doesn’t include
vampires in their folklore. They have something closer to zombies, apparently, but no
vampires. It wasn’t until Bram Stoker’s iconic novel, Dracula, was released in 1897 that the
mythical being infiltrated Romania (and it was the film adaptations that cemented it). Stoker
set the novel in Transylvania, a region of Romania, and appropriated the character’s name
from 15th century ruler Vlad Tepes of the Dracul line, known to history as Vlad the Impaler.
So, any search for Dracula is, in some ways, fruitless, because you are searching for a
fiction.

So, why are we looking? It’s thanks to the recent DVD release of Universal’s Dracula Untold,
a film that fuses the historical reign of Vlad Tepes with the tale of Dracula. The movie wasn’t
shot in Romania — it was filmed largely in Belfast, Ireland — but many of the sites depicted in
the movie are actual historical places. There is a monastery called Snagov where Vlad may
or may not have been buried, a castle called Bran where he may have visited, and the ruins
of his family’s palace in Targoviste. As you travel through Romania, even in the city of
Bucharest, it is clear that Vlad may or may not have been almost everywhere, the single
known portrait of him omnipresent.

A Vlad impersonator

Fact Vs. Fiction

Everyone disagrees on the lore. At Bran Castle, which is sold to tourists as Dracula’s Castle
(despite little evidence that Vlad T epes ever went there), the Vlad impersonator who gives us
a tour touts claims of the ruler’s infamously violent nature. The castle contains three rooms of
torture implements, including a massive impaling spike, and placards describe the many
ways in which Vlad horrifyingly inflicted pain on his subjects. But, a day later, in Targoviste at

• Apr 3, 2015 5:30 PM

• Emily Zemler

the old court ruins, historian Vasile Lupasc refers to Vlad Tepes as a
national hero.

“If you are looking fora vampire, no,” Lupasc says. “But, if you are
looking for heroes, this is the place.” He adds, “Vlad is way more
interesting than Dracula the vampire." The old court, which fell into
ruin due to abandonment, was built by Vlad the Impaler’s father, Vlad
Dracul. There are documents that place Vlad in the palace, but none
that really account for his presence at Bran. “It doesn’t look
impressive like Bran,” Lupasc tells us, gesturing to the crumbling
stone walls. “But, the truth is here.”

History Lessons

Our journey begins — and, inevitably, ends — in Bucharest, where there is another set of
ruins in the old town area. The ruins are now a small museum and you have to pay a photo
fee if you want to take pictures inside. There is almost nothing about the Dracula legend, but
it’s hard to resist imposing cinematic associations on the snowy tombstones that line the
walls, many shaped as crosses. The city itself is both beautiful and dingy, with ornate,

Eastern European architecture peering through layers of grime and the lingering fog. There
are references to communism everywhere, including reminders of the revolution of 1989,

and ended swiftly with the execution of leader Nicolae Ceausescu

Bucharest Park

The Palace of the Parliament is not far from the old town, a
storied structure that once housed the communist government. It’s
only slighter smaller than the Pentagon and extends far underground.
Hidden in a back section of the building is the National Museum of
Contemporary Art, which houses primarily Romanian artists. None of
this has anything to do with Dracula or Vlad, but it’s impossible not to
consider the implications of power over the course of the country’s
history. According to Lupasc, Ceausescu encouraged the laudation
of Vlad Tepes and other Romanian heroes because he wanted to be
considered among them.

In Targoviste, only five minutes away from the old court ruins, is the site of Ceausescu’s trial
and execution by firing squad. The old military compound was recently opened to the public
as a museum, and in the courtyard you can see two outlines where the dictator and his wife
simultaneously fell, as well as the bullet holes that still dot the wall behind. Our guides, who
were children during the revolution, recall hiding under kitchen tables as bullets whizzed
through the air before the execution upended the communist state.

The Targoviste Ruins

Into The Woods

Our search for Dracula takes us through the Carpathian Mountains, where you can find busy

which lasted three days
and his wife.

ski resorts, and into the town of Brasov.
The city was once a German Saxon
village and together with the
mountains, is part of the region of
Transylvania, which literally translates
to “beyond the woods." The vibe is
different from Bucharest: the houses
smaller, the roads narrower. Some of
the towns we drive through feel very
depressed, and everyone quiets as we
pass decrepit agrarian areas.

The bridge to Snagov Monastery

Our first stop is in Snagov, where the fog hangs heaviest and there is an old monastery on an
island in the middle of a lake. Now, in winter, the lake is frozen, and old men fish in the ice,
riding bicycles to the center of the frozen water. Monks live here still, and there are dozens of
dogs that run wild around the small monastery. (In Romania, wild dogs are everywhere, many
of them sadly homeless.)

The monastery site dates back to the 1 1th century, but the current building was built by Vlad’s
grandfather. It raises even more questions about the ruler. It is, apparently, hotly debated
where Vlad Tepes died, and how, when, and where he was buried. In one version, Vlad was
beheaded, his head put in a honey jar and sent to the sultan in Istanbul, who shoved it on a
spike in retribution for the many Ottoman Turks he impaled. In another story, Vlad faked his
own death, and the whereabouts of his body remain unknown. In yet another, he was buried
here at Snagov.

The Castle

The center point of our journey into T ransylvania is Bran Castle. The version of history that
our Vlad impersonator offers — in his dramatic, accented manner — is just as muddled as
Hollywood's. It mirrors the overarching desire for a vampire narrative we all seem to share.

In Dracula Untold, Vlad Tepes (played by Luke Evans) becomes a vampire in order to defeat
the T urks. The film compounds known history with legend as Universal reboots the film
franchise. Lupasc later says it’s his favorite version of Dracula, because it actually includes
the history of Romania, even as it is occasionally muddled by a Hollywood action narrative.

Bran Castle

Our guides, who run a tour company called Beyond Dracula, say that most of their visitors
aren’t so interested in vampires. Some ask to visit Bran Castle, which is fairly small and
underwhelming despite its position at the top of a hill; others eschew it completely. There is a
high demand for eco and nature tourism in the country (of note: 60% of Europe’s bears live in
Romania), and there is an 8,000-year-old Neolithic settlement in Northwestern Romania.
Cities like Brasov reflect a far different part of history than the places we visit investigating

Dracula. The bartender at the Radisson Blu’s hotel bar in Bucharest claims that only 3 or 4%
of travelers he meets are interested in Dracula. Yet, Bran Castle is the number one tourist
site in the country, and even our bartender visited as a child. “I’m Romanian, after all,” he
says.

The souvenirs, like those in the Empire State Building or in shops around Hollywood, play into
the tourist obsession with Dracula. The stands near Bran Castle hawk Dracula swords, cheap
shot glasses, crosses, rubber fangs, and, rather bizarrely, a lot of Frozen merchandise. The
gift shop at the old court ruins even sells real bats encased in plastic (an item for which I
promptly paid $30 and bestowed the name 'Vlad').

Bucharest

Beneath The Fog

If Romania didn’t originally claim Dracula, it seems that it does now, if only hesitantly. The
legend certainly draws people in, and there is a great mystique to visiting a place that is
referred to as Dracula’s castle. Even the word “Transylvania” invokes a sense of mystery and
terror. Driving through the mountains, the black outlines of trees echoing through the fog, it is
almost impossible not to feel drawn into it all. The aesthetics of Dracula, constructed in our
collective cultural consciousness, are real, even if he is not.

We found many versions of Dracula on our five-day journey through Romania. His story is
convoluted, multi-layered, and mostly false. In the beginning, I said I doubted that I’d ever
come back to Romania, that this was a once in a lifetime trip. But, wandering the foggy
streets of Bucharest, driving through the mountains of Transylvania, and slipping on the ice-
covered sidewalks of Brasov, I became certain that I would return eventually — in search of
something other than a vampire.

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UFOs: Red Baron shot down 'flying saucer' over the

trenches.. .and other paranormal phenomena from WWI mirror.co.uk

Stranger and scarier things than fighter pilots were patrolling the skies above the battlefields
of France, according to a new book.

During the First World War soldiers and civilians reported a string of paranormal phenomena
that historians and UFO experts have struggled to explain.

So much so that it raises the question, were aliens watching us 30 years before the fabled
crash landing at Roswell, New Mexico?

Some of these spectacular sightings feature in a new book, UFOs of the First World War, by
Nigel Watson.

The most famous flyer of the First World War was the German pilot Manfred Freiherr von
Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron.

Legend: The Angel of Mons is said to
have appeared to soldiers during a
WWI battle

No human pilot could match his skills in
the air - and apparently neither could
aliens.

He supposedly spotted an UFO that
looked like an upside down silver
saucer with orange lights during an
early morning mission in the clear blue
skies above Belgium in the spring of
1917.

Fellow German Air Force ace Peter Waitzrick, who reportedly witnessed the dogfight, said:
“We were terrified because we’d never seen anything like it before. The Baron immediately
opened fire and the thing went down like a rock, shearing off tree limbs as it crashed into the
woods.”

Two occupants allegedly survived the crash and clambered from the wreck before running
into the trees.

Waitzrick and his squadron initially thought the UFO was a secret US aircraft, until he read
reports about flying saucers and then had no doubt that was what he saw.

Baron: Manfred Freiherr Von Richthofen is rumoured to have shot down a flying saucer while
patrolling the skies over the trenches

Mirrorpix Google Wikipedia/Tim Felce (Airwolfhound)

Mirrorpix Google
Wikipedia/Tim Felce
(Airwolfhound)

Royal Norfolk Regiment
in giant grey clouds.

However, he did not share the story until 80 years after the event,
when he was 105 years-old, and the headline appeared in the
Weekly World News in August 1999.

Waitzrick said: “There’s no doubt in my mind that the Baron shot
down some kind of spacecraft from another planet and those little
guys who ran off into the woods were space aliens of some kind.”

However, historians have questioned the story, pointing out that the
Fokker triplanes the squadron were allegedly flying were not put into
operation service until August 1917, several months after the
encounter.

The disappearing soldiers

During the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign up to 4,000 men from the
was supposedly snatched by aliens who swooped over the battlefield

Three New Zealand soldiers said they saw several hundred British soldiers marching towards
Hill 60 at Sulva Bay in Turkey on August 21, 1915.

Gallipoli: Men from the Royal Norfolk
Regiment were said to have been
snatched by aliens during the Gallipoli
campaign (file picture)

At the top of the hill was a “more solid
looking cloud” that was 800 feet long,
220 feet high and 200 feet wide.

Their statement, made in April 1965,
said: “When they arrived at this cloud
they marched straight into it with no
hesitation, but no one ever came out to
Mirrorpix fight. About an hour later this cloud very

unobtrusively lifted off the ground until it joined other similar clouds, then they all moved away
northwards.”

The soldiers insisted the British demanded the return of the regiment when Turkey
surrendered, but the Turks denied any knowledge of the soldiers.

While many have dismissed the statement as a hoax, it has since been corroborated by the
final report of the Dardanelles Commission, written in 1917 and finally declassified in 1965.

TheAldeburgh platform

Closer to home, there was a strange sighting in the skies above Suffolk. Daily Mirror reader

A. E. Whiteland wrote to the newspaper in 1968 about an aircraft his mother saw from the
upstairs window of her home in the town of Aldeburgh during the First World War.

His mother, then 84, told him the story many times over the years and he was keen to find out
what happened.

Whiteland wrote: “A little above the level of the house eight to twelve men appeared on what
seemed to be a round platform with a handrail around it, which they were gripping tightly.

Sighting: A UFO was reportedly sighted
over the town of Aldeburgh in Suffolk

“She could see them so clearly. They
were wearing blue uniforms and little
round hats, not unlike sailors'. She
heard no sound from the machine as it
came off the marshes.

“It turned a bit and went over the
railway yard to disappear behind some
houses.”

The initial explanation was that
lowered from a zeppelin.

However, aviation historian Charles Gibbs said this was certainly not the case, as an
observation platform was so tiny it could only take one man and would not be lowered so
near the ground.

UFO research Carl Grove carried out a full investigation, but was never able to come up with
any plausible explanation.

The Angel of Mons

It was supposedly a sign that God was on Britain’s side. As British soldiers fled at the Battle
of Mons in 1914 a strange figure appeared and fended off the German troops so they could
make their escape.

Despite the full scale retreat, the British losts just 1,600 men - a fraction of the huge losses
suffered during other battles later in the war.

Legend: The legend of Lady Sopwith grew throughout WWI (file picture)

At the time it was widely described as St George, St Michael or a crowd of angelic warriors.
News of the miracle spread so rapidly it was even reported in the Evening Standard.

However, many UFO enthusiasts now believe the ‘angel’ was an alien visitor that took on a
form the soldiers would recognise.

Google

Whiteland’s mother had seen an observation carriage

UFO expert Kevin Goodman said: “The
UFO enigma was unknown during the
First World War conflict, so the troops
would relate to an event such as this in
the only way they could, by thinking
that they had a sign from God.”

Flaming onions

The so-called ‘flaming onions’ terrified
WW1 fighter pilots because no-one
knew what theory were and they moved
too fast for an aircraft to take evasive
action.

Cambridge historian Denis Winter recounted in his booked, The First of the Few, that the
flaming onions were “green glowing balls which twisted about like live things and seemed to
chase an aeroplane, turning over end on end in a leisurely way.”

The mystery of these UFOs has never been solved, though one explanation is that they may
have been strings of flares fired by a German five barrelled anti-aircraft gun called the
Lichtspucker, or light spitter.

Lady Sopwith

First spotted by Lieutenant Frederick Ardsley as he flew from Amiens to Villers Bocage in
northern France on an early morning patrol on January 9, 1918.

He spotted an identical S.E. 5 biplane flying next to his and was stunned when the pilot
removed their goggles with a loud laugh to reveal a cascade of golden hair. The beauty blew
a kiss at Ardesley before performing a Can Can dance on the edge of her cockpit.

When Ardesley tried to shoot her down and pursued her plane she darted, rolled and dipped
with such skill he could not keep up. Eyewitnesses on the ground reported watching the
dogfight.

This was just the start of the legend of Lady Sopwith, who reportedly shot down German
pilots who nicknamed her The Valkyrie, and was spotted by civilians including a six year-old
boy.

Some believed her to be the tomboy sister of British flying corps ace Captain Albert Ball, who
was killed in May 1917. However, it has been suggested she was little more than a myth that
began when some mechanics saw a pilot in wearing drag climb into the cockpit of an S.E. 5
after a Christmas concert party.

UFOs of the First World War by Nigel Watson is published by The History Press and is
available to buy now.

Wikipedia/Tim Felce (Airwolfhound)

Reuben Herndon and the Ordeal of Blood - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

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Reward notice for Reuben Herndon.

The case of Reuben Herndon is often mentioned as one instance of the
“ordeal of blood” in Virginia's history, but unfortunately, no evidence can
be found to support this long-held belief. Still, the case remains a
fascinating glimpse at justice in Virginia just after the Civil War.

Reuben Herndon

Reuben Herndon was a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. He enlisted
a private and was discharged a private. He lived near Verdiersville, in
Orange County, Virginia. He married Susan Mason, daughter of
Reverend Saunders Mason, and they settled into typical married life for
the period. Herndon was a carpenter by trade, and known to be an
occasional preacher, although never ordained.

Those who knew Herndon only knew one thing. He was a mousy man,
regarded as far too timid for any kind of cruelty or brutality, it naturally
drew a tremendous amount of sensation when he became the central

suspect in a murder.

Mary “Mollie” Lumsden

Mollie Lumsden was a bright young woman, who also had a respectable family. Relatives were
completely stunned when she disappeared on April 24, 1868. She had become a well-known face in the
Herndon household, as she helped Susan care for their children. The Herndon and Lumsden families
were neighbors and both were known by everyone who lived in the region. Popularity didn't help Mollie.
She just vanished into nothing. Weeks passed and no one in the territory, or the state, admitted to
seeing the girl anywhere. The Lumsden family had nearly given up on any news of their Mollie.

Mrs. James Jacobs waited on her dog to return home on the evening of May 24, 1868. Jacobs's hound
had roamed for hours and she called for its return. The dog didn't return as normal. She noticed the dog
came home with bloody paws and legs. She examined the animal for injury, but there was no evidence
of harm. She decided to see where the blood originated.

Jacobs tracked the dog's path. Eventually, she found three strange piles of wood in the forest. Under
each pile of wood were human remains. Jacobs summed all the neighbors she could and the
investigation began. When the wood was removed, everyone knew it was Mollie. The clothing and hair
revealed her identity.

Mollie's father was among the first on the scene. Investigators found a familiar necktie near the body.
Justice of the Peace, John Woolfolk, conducted the examination and believed the girl was pregnant, and
the infant had been cut out of her body. A wave of horror passed through the community. Mr. Lumsden
recalled Reuben Herndon wearing that tie.

A letter was in Mollie's pocket that directed her towards a spot around a mile and a half from where her
remains were disposed. Mr. Lumsden's suspicion of Herndon compounded. He marched to the Simpson
household, where Herndon performed some carpentry work, and asked Reuben to accompany him to
see the body. Herndon said he just wanted to go home.

Suspicion with Substance

Lumsden asked him again the next day, and again Herndon had an excuse. This continued until
Herndon was forced by law. This is most likely where the confusion over the ordeal of blood begins.

Herndon was ordered to view the scene, but nothing supports his being forced to touch the remains. Her
body was also around a mile from Herndon's home. The letter read {grammar and spelling have been
partially corrected for readability):

“Mollie, I have tried everything that would do any good, and do not know better we can do
than to run away. They will find it out anyhow, and I am going to take these here oxen to Mr.
Johnson's and he will pay me the money for them; so as soon as I come home you can take
your bonnet and shawl and tell Susan [Herndon's wife] you want something from home
about dress, and when you get over to the woods, go down the path a little ways, and then
turn to the left and go down to that old fence that runs between the woods and pines, and
hide yourself, so if anybody should come along, that they can't see you; and then stay until
Fife [Mollie's brother] leaves this evening, and I will come out of there, and by morning, we
will be out of the reach of anybody around here; when you leave the path do not let your
tracks be seen, nor anywhere through the pines, for fear that they might find you before
night. Now, if you will do this, after you read it come in and bow your head; do not let Susan
see this or know anything about it; should anybody come while I am gone to Mr. Johnson's,
do not let them see your face, if you can help it.”

The men read the letter aloud while Herndon was at the scene and he briefly broke down. Mr. Lumsden
already suspected he was the culprit, and charged Herndon with murdering his daughter. Herndon
admitted to seducing the young girl, but not to her murder. Lumsden raised a large hickory branch to
thrash Herndon, but magistrate Richard Richards stopped him.

Mr. J. Johnson, whom Herndon mentioned in his letter, would not buy the steers as Herndon thought.
Johnson had tried many times before and Herndon always refused. Johnson had the upper hand and
got a pair of steers worth $40 for a mere $28. This was only because Herndon confessed to Johnson
that he would be “ruined” if he couldn't sell them.

Several weeks passed and suspicion never wavered from Herndon. He even published a threat in the
newspaper, The Native Virginian , around June 1 , that threatened his accusers with a defamation suits.

Herndon in Jail

His proclamations of innocence fell upon deaf ears. Herndon was arrested towards the end of May. His
admission of the seduction was all the proof necessary to bring down the full wrath of the people. A mob
gathered outside the Orange County Jailhouse during the first week of June. Over 100 people had
promised to lynch him. Only 12 people showed, however, and the few dispersed with no further violence.

Herndon hired notable attorneys Judge Robertson and Shelton F. Leake. His counsel pushed the trial
date further and further away. Herndon's patience wore thin. He escaped the jail on July 26. Virginia's
Governor issued a proclamation the next day, a $500 reward for the capture of Reuben Herndon.

No one heard of Herndon again until August the 17. Many believed he'd gone out west, or maybe into
Mexico. He hadn't. Herndon crept into a barn to sleep, thinking it belonged to a relative named Grady. It
didn't. Herndon had trespassed into a neighbor's barn and the neighbor summoned Justice Woolfolk.

Life on the lamb had not been kind to Herndon. He was pale and emaciated. He admitted he had eaten
5 meals in the previous 10 days and had wandered much of that time, usually in the rain. He was so
exhausted he could barely talk. His feet were bare and swollen, covered in cuts and contusions. He just
wanted to be left alone.

Conviction

He was chained to the jail cell floor afterward. His wife divorced him while he awaited trial. His attorneys
continued to postpone proceedings. Herndon didn't actually go to trial until late May 1869.

The authorities constructed a timeline of events that partially agreed with what Herndon confessed. He
did seduce Mollie, and she became pregnant from his liberties. However, Herndon was too terrified to
face the anger of his community, so he procured some kind of abortive. The exact substance was never
mentioned. The abortive had adverse effects and Mollie died.

Herndon knew he had to get rid of the body. He couldn't think of anything other than dismembering her.
He cut the body into three parts, but didn't have the “stomach” to finish the job. Instead, he piled wood
on top of every part. This is where rumors that he cut the infant out of her stomach originated.

He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 18 years in the state penitentiary.
Newspapers from late July state that Herndon was ill since his sentence began. He still professed his
innocence and seemed to hope the mystery would be cleared one day.

Herndon's final mention in the papers came in March of 1870. A fellow inmate stabbed him in the
shoulder, although it was not serious. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and returned to jail.

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Rituals of Passover, Easter share common symbols for Jews,
Christians

Friday, April 3 2015 6:00 PM EOT

wbtv.com

Posted: Mar 28, 2015 3:12 AM PDT Updated: Apr 04, 2015 4:05 AM PDT

A table is prepared to
celebrate the Seder during the
Jewish Passover. (Source:
Wikimedia Commons)

A lamb with a halo over its
head depicts Christ, the
Passover sacrifice for
Christians. (Source: Wikimedia
Commons)

(RNN) - Passover, which is
celebrated by Jews and
Christians, has its origins in
the Bible's book of Exodus
where God tells Moses how
the Israelites will be delivered
from persecution by the
Egyptians.

After a series of supernatural
plagues, the Lord hardened
Pharaoh's heart and he would
not let the people of Israel to
leave Egypt and 400 years of
bondage, according to the Old
Testament account in Exodus.

That decision set the stage for

C ti rististi s. (SourcG. \A/ikim&di3 Corn/DonsJ th© P3SS0VGT cl CC I C b TO ti 0 n

observed by Jews and viewed by Christians as foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ more
than 1,000 years after the nation of Israel departed Egypt.

Exodus 12 says that after Pharaoh's refusal, Moses was instructed by God to tell each family
of Israel to take a lamb without blemish, meaning any injury or defect, and to take care of the
animal from day 10 of the first month of Nisan to day 14.

At twilight on day 14, the Israelites were to kill the lamb and take some of the blood and put it
around the door frames of their houses. That night, as the people of Israel were eating a meal
specified by God, the Lord went through Egypt at midnight and struck down the firstborn of
every Egyptian family but passed over the firstborn of Israel living in houses covered by the

By Paul Wesley Sullivan

A table is prepared to celebrate the Seder during the Jewish Passover. (Source:

Wiki media Commons)

A iamb with a halo over its head depicts Christ, the Passover sacrifice for

blood of the lamb.

The Lord punished the Egyptians and spared, or passed over, the Israelites. As a result,
Pharaoh that same night told Moses and the Israelites to leave Egypt, according to Exodus
12:31.

The Jewish Passover

Rabbi Elliot Stevens of Montgomery, AL, says Passover is now primarily observed in the
homes of Jewish families. The public sacrificing of animals at the temple ended with the
destruction of the house of worship by the Romans in the first century, he said.

He said there are thousands of variations of haggadahs, or religious books, that are used by
grandfathers or fathers in Jewish homes to direct the family observance of the Passover meal
as part of the eight-day festival. Each haggadah has a theme that helps the families celebrate
the Pesach, or Passover, story while they are eating the Seder, which is the Passover meal.

Stevens said that the overall theme is for the Passover to be a time when “we move from a
lower place to a higher place spiritually."

The Seder

The rabbi at Kahl Montgomery T emple Beth Or said the elements of food for the Seder have
stayed basically the same for centuries.

A green vegetable such as parsley reminds worshipers that the Exodus took place in the
spring and brought new life and promise. The vegetables are dipped in saltwater symbolic of
the tears shed by those in slavery in Egypt.

A roasted bone signifies the special lamb that was brought to the temple in Jerusalem as an
offering. It also stands for the lamb that was slain in Exodus 12 for the blood to then be put on
the door frames of the houses allowing the Lord to pass over those homes.

The charoset is a mixture of nuts, apples and wine to remind Jews of the mortar that was
used to make bricks for pharaoh more than 3,000 years ago.

Bitter herbs, such as horseradish, are used to recall the hundreds of years of harsh captivity
in Egypt.

A hard-boiled egg symbolizes spring and the gift of life.

Stevens said one cup of wine is left for the Old T estament prophet Elijah, whose spirit is said
to watch over the Jews.

Some observers eat a Hillel sandwich, named for a famous rabbi, which is made by putting
charoset and the bitter herbs between two pieces of matzo, which is unleavened bread, or
bread made without yeast. This recalls the haste in which the Israelites fled Egypt - there was
not enough time for the bread to rise.

During the whole experience the family leader's goal is to keep the children engaged.

“The children open the door for Elijah,” Stevens said. “And children ask questions, like ‘why
do we eat matzo tonight?' or why do we eat leaning?”

A free man can eat leaning, Stevens said, because the Israelites became free following the
original Passover when they left slavery in Egypt. In ancient times, only the wealthy and
nobility would recline while eating. The poor sat on the floor to eat.

There are other elements of the observance depending on the version of the haggadah used,
Stevens said.

He added that even though the Egyptians treated the people of Israel harshly, during the
Seder a finger is dipped in a cup of wine 10 times, symbolizing the 10 plagues, to withdraw
10 drops of wine. The aim is to take wine out of the cup so that it can't be enjoyed during the
meal.

“We can't have complete joy because Egyptians suffered,” Stevens said. “One of the themes
of Passover is that our joy can't be complete while there is suffering in the world. Passover
looks forward to when all people are free. ”

Passover points to the cross, Christians say

More than 1,000 years after the first Passover lamb was slain, John the Baptist would say in
John 1 , when approached by Jesus to be baptized, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world!”

The baptism launched Jesus' ministry that would eventually lead to his crucifixion at the time
of Passover, according to the New Testament. Christians believe John's designation of Christ
as the Lamb of God, and the way Jesus shed his blood before and during the crucifixion,
parallels the lamb of the first Passover to the sacrifice of Christ.

Similarly, just as the Israelites were freed from from slavery in Egypt to live in the Promised
Land, Christ's death for the sins of humanity offers believers a new life.

Jesus and the disciples held the Lord's Supper on Passover when Christ said the bread and
the wine represented his body and blood broken and shed for all. Many Christians celebrate
the Lord's Supper during Passover, which connects the body and blood of the Passover lamb
to Christ's sacrifice, and redefines some of the symbolic elements of the Seder.

Christians also believe that the Old Testament text of Isaiah 53:7 predicts Christ's coming as
the Passover lamb. Isaiah writes of one who was oppressed and didn't open his mouth: “He
was led as a lamb to the slaughter.” They say the verses connect the Passover lamb to
Christ, who appeared hundreds of years after Isaiah prophesied.

Robert the Doll

December 6, 2013

historicmysteries.com

Robert the Doll by Cayubo

The early stories of Robert the Doll seem like a popular horror
movie plot. If you mixed some elements of “Skeleton Key”
(2005) and the Annabelle Doll back-story of “The Conjuring”
(2013), you would get something similar to the tales surrounding Robert the Doll. It actually
did help inspire the Chucky film franchise, but the only real similarity is the evil doll. What
makes Robert’s story even better is that it goes back to more than a century ago, which we
must admit makes almost any horror story better.

From the somewhat unlikely location of Key West comes the
story of Robert the Doll. This weathered turn of the century toy
has a somewhat bland facial expression and skin tone. His
eyes are round, small and unexpressive, when most people are
looking. He sits inside of a display case at the Fort East
Martello Museum in a chair that is just his size. In one of his
arms is a stuffed toy of his own. On his head is a sailor’s cap
that matches the 1800s naval officer motif of his outfit. Why is
he kept so neatly in a museum? Well, stories say that Robert
the Doll is quite evil.

In 1906, a house servant at 524 Eaton St. in Key West gave the young son of the mansion’s
owners a doll that was named Robert after the boy. Eugene Otto is how the boy who would
later become a well-known artist is addressed, but the doll took his first name and became
known as Robert the Doll. According to stories, there was something evil about the doll from
the beginning. The fault is placed on the woman who gave the doll to Otto. She supposedly
cursed it or invited an evil spirit to possess the doll using voodoo.

As evil dolls all want to do, Robert began speaking to his little owner, who spent all of his time
with the doll. The Ottos would hear their boy talking to Robert and hear a different voice
respond, but they initially thought their son was talking to himself using a different voice.
When the lad would get into trouble, he would blame it on Robert. Some tales of Robert the
Doll claim that Otto continued to blame bad behavior of Robert when he was an adult, but
there is not enough evidence to accuse the man of any bad behavior, let alone passing the
buck to a doll from his childhood.

Neighbors and people who walked by the Otto house in Key West would notice Robert the
Doll moving from window to window in the home. Some even say he ran through the rooms
giggling in such a way as to frighten those who heard it when his owners were not home. It is
uncertain why the doll was not thrown away. Quite the contrary happened; Eugene Otto kept
Robert the Doll in his house indefinitely. Even his wife made renters of the home keep Robert
in a special room after Eugene passed away.

Eventually, the house passed to new owners, who found Robert in the attic. They had a
young daughter who became terrified of the doll, claiming that it wanted and even tried to kill

her. T o this day, she repeats that story, according to fans of the tale. In 1 994, Robert the Doll
finally left the Victorian mansion on Eaton St. and made his home at the museum where
visitors and some museum workers claim he moves, curses those who take his picture
without permission and nods to give his assent to those who ask nicely.

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Rudolph Fentz, Accidental Time Traveler

hoaxes.org

The story of Rudolph Fentz was for many decades considered to be an unsolved mystery, as
well as a case of possible time travel. According to the story, in June 1950 a man suddenly
appeared in the center of New York City’s Times Square, as if from out of the blue. He was
wearing old-fashioned clothes and sported the kind of mutton-chop sideburns that had gone
out of fashion decades ago. Glancing about himself, a look first of astonishment and then of
panic flashed across his face. He began to sprint forwards, and was then struck down and
killed by a car.

When police examined the man, they found nineteenth-century money in his pockets as well
as business cards identifying him as Rudolph Fentz. But they couldn’t locate records of a
man named Fentz anywhere until they came across the old widow of a Rudolph Fentz Jr. The
widow told them that her father-in-law, Rudolph Fentz Sr., had disappeared one day without a
trace in 1876. Intriguingly, the address of her father-in-law matched the address on the
mysterious stranger’s business cards. So the police were left with an enigma. Rudolph Fentz
appeared to have vanished in 1876, only to reappear in 1950. Had he somehow fallen into a
time-hole that had sucked him seventy-four years through time?

For decades this tale was popular among members of Europe’s paranormal research
community, and it was generally accepted as true — an example of a genuine mystery — until
2005 when researcher Chris Aubeck investigated its history.

Aubeck discovered that the tale had begun life as a science-fiction story penned by Jack
Finney and published in a 1951 anthology. Two years later a writer named Ralph Holland
reprinted the story in a booklet, but he did so without permission and removed all indication
that the story was fiction. Holland was a member of a group called Borderland that was
committed to promoting belief in the existence of a fourth dimension.' The Fentz story, when
presented as fact, ably served this agenda. Through Holland’s booklet, the tale of the
accidental time traveler made its way to Europe, where it soon took root and circulated for
decades within the European paranormal research community.

english.pravda.ru

Russia wants Germany to pay trillions for attacking USSR in
1941

05.02.2015

In one week, the State Duma of the
Russian Federation has put forward two
anti-German statements at once - about
the annexation of the GDR by the
Federal Republic of Germany and about
receiving reparations from Germany.
Such initiatives do not appear out of thin
air: German Chancellor Angela Merkel
does not behave as befits the leader of
the largest European country. She does
not seem to be able to understand what
Russia is telling her.

On Monday, the LDPR faction in the
Russian parliament put forward an
initiative to seek reparations from Germany for attacking the USSR in 1941. "In fact, Germany
has not paid any reparations to the Soviet Union for destructions and atrocities committed
during the Great Patriotic War. There was an agreement concluded with the GDR after the
war to cease levying reparations from Germany. There were no such agreements concluded
with the FRG, let alone the united Germany, and, therefore, the question remains open," MP
with the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Mikhail Degtyarev said. According to him, the
amount of reparations in current prices should total at least three or four trillion euros that
Germany should pay to Russia, the USSR’s successor. The MP recalled that Germany
compensated even the countries that had not participated in World War II. Israel, for example,
within the framework of Compensation for National Socialist injustice received more than 60
billion euros from Germany, the MP said.

"The claims are fair enough," a member of the United Russia faction in the Russian State
Duma, Timur Akulov, a member of the defense committee, told Pravda.Ru. In his opinion,
Germany should pay even for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Germany after the signing
of the German reunification agreement. "We left so much property there and so many
buildings when the Soviet troops were withdrawn from the GDR. Germany has not paid
anything for that either. The officers who returned here, became homeless. It is up for the
Ministry of Defense to calculate the losses," the MP said.

However, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of World Economics and Politics at the Higher School
of Economics, Andrei Suzdaltsev, told Pravda. Ru that such claims are emotional and not
justified. "There is a decision from the Potsdam Conference, where all these issues were
resolved." According to the expert, the Soviet Union ceased to receive reparations from the
eastern zone of occupation, after a friendly state, the German Democratic Republic,
appeared. "In the end, our reparations were miserable. But the train, as they say, is already

Russia wants Germany to pay trillions for attacking USSR in 1941.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel

gone, and it is no longer possible to revisit the situation.

The experts agreed that Russia's second mistake was the withdrawal of troops from Germany
without compensations for the losses of property. Russia can not do anything about it either,
the expert told Pravda.Ru. Revising the results of the Potsdam Conference is a hopeless
endeavor, because the Baltic states would shower Russia with their lawsuits. "They
announced that they would seek compensations from Russia for their occupation by the
Soviet Union. Poland would then join in because we liberated Western Ukraine and Belarus
in 1939. The dispute with Japan over the Kuril Islands would worsen too. This is a
counterproductive proposal," Andrei Suzdaltsev concluded.

However, why has the topic of reparations emerged only now? "The initiative is a direct
response to the sanctions imposed by the EU and the United States," - German website
Focus.de said. Yet, there is a moral aspect to the problem. Immediately after World War II,
the Germans, whom the Soviet Army freed from fascists, started receiving trains of grain from
the USSR. This was happening at the time, when citizens of the Soviet Union had to live on
special food tickets. In addition, it was an initiative of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that led
to the reunification of Germany in 1989. Angela Merkel can shed tears over the Holocaust
and Jews, but she does not seem to be bothered at all as far as the Russians are concerned.
No remorse whatsoever.

Merkel refuses to listen to Putin

As a result, the Russian Parliament, upon the proposal from the Communist Party, discusses
a resolution on the annexation of the GDR by the Federal Republic of Germany. Indeed, in
the GDR, there was no referendum conducted about the accession to West Germany,

German website Alles Schall und Rauch wrote. This decision was made by the GDR
parliament, whose members were promised seats in the new joint government. The idea of
the so-called "peaceful reunification" was promoted and financed by Western industrialists,
who were seeking market expansion and economic growth. Moreover, no one asked the
Germans whether they wanted to join NATO, the EU or the euro zone. Was it annexation that
Brussels schemed? According to the article published on Alles Schall und Rauch, the
initiative from the State Duma came as revenge for the condemnation of the "annexation" of
the Crimea. This revenge from Russia has a grain of truth in it, the German publication said.

The truth lies in the fact that a sovereign country (GDR) was annexed to another, not quite an
independent country from the legal point of view - the FRG - without any referendum. The
USSR, the UK, the USA and France - the countries, members of the victory coalition,
admitted that it was possible for the FRG to annex the GDR. In the case of the Crimea, it was
only Russia that gave its consent. Does it mean that it was impossible to "annex" the Crimea?

Russian lawmakers have launched an offensive against Angela Merkel due to her inadequate
position, as she is the only of post-war German leaders, who is unable to come to an
agreement with Russia. For example, she rejected Putin's proposal to regulate the crisis in
Ukraine following the example of the "Chechen scenario." Why so? Find a pro-Ukrainian
leader, give broad autonomy and funding, and "the process will go." Yet, Merkel can not
admit her mistake that she made about Russia's position on Chechnya. Besides, there is no

such leader, let alone the funding. Noteworthy, Chechnya's comeback in the matrix of the
parent country was the only successful example of reconciliation in the former Soviet Union.

"Angela Merkel turns into a leader endowed with personal phobias, likes and dislikes, which
is impermissible for a leader of such an influential state, - Sergey Tsekov, a member of the
Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs told Pravda. Ru. - She does not see the
essence of what Russia is telling her. She remains hostile to all suggestions from the Russian
leadership, without even analyzing those proposals."

German Chancellor Merkel said that Germany will not arm Ukraine, but this is not her merit.
Germany has no right to be "aggressive". If any country of the former anti-Hitler coalition finds
Germany aggressive, Germany, under the UN Charter, may be given the status of a "hostile
country" and a controlled territory.

Lyuba Lulko

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Russian plan of attack to nuke Yellowstone

March 31, 2015 smh.com.au

Russian analyst urges nuclear attack on Yellowstone National Park and San Andreas
fault line

Bear shows claws: A Russian geopolitics analyst says Yellowstone National Park would be a
good target for nuclear attack. Photo: AP/National Park Service

A Russian geopolitical analyst says the best way to attack the United States is to detonate
nuclear weapons to trigger a supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park or along the San
Andreas fault line on California's coast.

The president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems based in Moscow, Konstantin Sivkov
said in an article for a Russian trade newspaper on Wednesday, VPK News, that Russia
needed to increase its military weapons and strategies against the "West" which was "moving
to the borders or Russia".

He has a conspiracy theory that NATO - a political and military alliance which counts the US,
UK, Canada and many countries in western Europe as members - was amassing strength
against Russia and the only way to combat that problem was to attack America's
vulnerabilities to ensure a "complete destruction of the enemy".

"Geologists believe that the Yellowstone supervolcano could
explode at any moment. There are signs of growing activity
there. Therefore it suffices to push the relatively small, for
example the impact of the munition megaton class to initiate an
eruption. The consequences will be catastrophic for the United
States - a country just disappears," he said.

"Another vulnerable area of the United States from the
geophysical point of view, is the San Andreas fault - 1 300
kilometers between the Pacific and North American plates ... a
detonation of a nuclear weapon there can trigger catastrophic
events like a coast-scale tsunami which can completely destroy
the infrastructure of the United States."

He said the Russian geography on the other hand would protect
it from a tsunami or a volcano attack. Few people live on the coast in Russia and Siberia
which rests on basalt would withstand similar attacks.

Mr Sivkov, who spoke at the 2013 Moscow Economic Forum, said by 2020 to 2025 Russia
would have amassed "asymmetric weapons" in its arsenal for the attack.

"The situation for us today is comparably worse than half a century ago," he said.

Conspiracy theory: The president of
the Academy of Geopolitical
Problems based in Moscow,
Konstantin Sivkov.

Russian target number 2: The San
Andreas fault line, here pictured
on the Carrizo Plain in California.

"The weakened economic potential in Russia, the loss of the
'spiritual core of what was the communist idea', and the lack of
large-scale community allies in Europe such as the Warsaw Pact,
Russia simply cannot compete against the NATO and its allies."

In December last year, the vocal military strategist told Russian
newspaper, Pravda.ru that there is a "developing standoff
between Russia and the West" and the US's ultimate goal was to
"destroy Russia".

Mr Sivkov accused American politicians of committing several
crimes including causing the deaths of 1,200,000 people in Iraq.
He believed the only way for the "American elite" to be held
accountable was for its military forces to be destroyed.

"American politicians have committed a variety of crimes. Will
anyone be held accountable for those crimes? What about the international law, the UN and
other organisations? Are they doing anything?" he asked.

Mr Sivkov told Pravda that the idea of the US preparing for a serious war against Russia
using cruise missiles was plausible given that it had already launched a thousand missiles in
Yugoslavia and Iraq.

1/29/2015

Russian streets turned into frozen block after water pipes burst during storm | Daily Mail Online

The town that was turned into an ice-block: Russian streets
turned into huge frozen block after water pipes burst during
storm in sub-zero temperatures

09:51 EST, 28 January 201 5 \

09:51 EST, 28 January 2015 dailymail.CO.uk

The town that was turned into an ice-block: Russian streets turned into huge frozen
block after water pipes burst during storm in sub-zero temperatures

• Storm in Siberian town saw waterpipes burst and flood the streets

• With temperatures around -40C, the water froze immediately

• Pictures show cars and trucks encased in several feet of ice

By Sara Malm for MailOnline

A Siberian has town found itself, quite literally, frozen to the core, after its water main burst
amid an ice cold storm.

Residents in Dudinka, central Siberia, emerged from their homes after a powerful storm to
find their street frozen solid up to their waists.

The storm had burst several waterpipes in the town, and with temperatures dropping to -40C
during the night, the water froze solid in the street.

Scroll down for video

Residents have been

forced to queue up to collect running water before carrying away their supplies in plastic
bottles

Frozen: A harsh storm cause the waterpipes to burst in
this Siberian town, and with temperatures around -40C,
the water froze solid in the streets

Arendelle 2.0: A truck
is encased in some
4ft of ice on a street
in Dudinka, Siberia,
after the storm

Cry for help:
Residents in Dudinka
shared images of
their plight on
Russian social media

Chilly: Dudinka is located in Krasnoyarsk Krai, a large territory in the middle of Siberia that

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new5/article-2930003/The-town-encased-ice-Rjssian-streets-turned-huge-frGzen-block-water-pipes-burst-storm-sub-zero-temper... 1/7

1/29/2015 Russian streets turned into frozen block after water pipes burst during storm | Daily Mail Online

sits close to the
I Arctic Ocean

Dudinka is a small
town of 22,000
residents in
Krasnoyarsk Krai,
a large territory in
the middle of
Siberia that
borders the Arctic
Ocean.

Dudinka, Siberia, Russia

k O

As with many residential areas in Siberia, hot water is
provided to apartment blocks from a power plant where it
is centrally heated and then piped into the homes.

Although many homes were left without water and
electricity, internet connections were as solid as the ice
in the streets, and Dudinka residents shared images of
their plight on social media.

Local government spokesman Eugene Gerasimov said:
'Anybody in doubt of exactly how cold it is here just need
to look at the pictures.

Chilly view: Water which has
flowed from broken pipes on
the top floor has frozen into
giant icicles

Let it go: Water from a burst
main flows out into the street
before freezing

An image from Dudinka
shows how the street outside
an apartment block has been
turned into a frozen lake

Ice can be seen encasing industrial pipes in the frozen town where temperatures have
plummeted lately

Two residents survey the hard, icy surface outside a block of flats in the town

A picture taken indoors looking out shows how snow and ice is so deep it has even covered
cars on the street

I «

-•

http;//w ww. dai I ym ai I. co.uk/news/arti cl 8-2930003^ he-town-encased-ice-Russi an- streets -turned -huge-frozen- block- water -pipes- burst-storm -sub- zero-temper... 2/7

1/29/2015

Russian streets turned into frozen block after water pipes burst during storm | Daily Mail Online

A giant icebreaker ship lights up the night
sky as it arrives in Dudinka, a community
bordering the Arctic Ocean

'Even the hot water pipes were freezing, and
the water that flooded out quickly formed into
a solid block.'

Several images show vehicles encased in
4ft-thick ice from the frozen water mains, and
others show massive icicles clinging to the
outsides of apartment complexes.

Mr Gerasimov said officials had
declared a state of emergency.

Residents emerged from their
homes after a powerful storm to find
their street frozen solid up to their
waists

Arctic chill: Two residents battle
through the snow and ice (left) as
they walk past a giant mural. The
frozen conditions have brought much
of the community to a standstill

there are a few abandoned ghost towns scattered across the region where the main boiler
has gone down and its just not viable to repair it so the people just move, one was shown in
the worlds most dangerous roads along with a village where the cows where bras to stop
there milk freezing in the udder, and we moan when it drops to -1

thespecialwelshone, land of my fathers, Wallis And Futuna, about 2 hours ago

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new5/article-2930003/The-town-encased-ice-Russian-streets-turned-huge-frozen-block-water-pipes-burst-storm-sub-zero-temper... 3/7

1/29/2015

Russian streets turned into frozen block after water pipes burst during storm | Daily Mail Online

That's why the Russians were flying
around southern Britain. ... they want
to know how us brits deal with severe
weather.

And people here in Srilanka complain
during December cold weather which
doesn’t even get colder than 14
degrees. This is the time of year when
you should visit Srilanka. It's usually
sunny during the entire year with a
chilling breeze during December! :)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2930003/The-town-encased-ice-Russian-streets-turned-huge-frozen-block-water-pipes-burst-storm-sub-zero-temper... 4/7

1/29/2015

Russian streets turned into frozen block after water pipes burst during storm | Daily Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new5/article-2930003/The-town-encased-ice-Russian-streets-turned-huge-frozen-block-water-pipes-burst-storm-sub-zero-temper... 5/7

1/29/2015

Russian streets turned into frozen block after water pipes burst during storm | Daily Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new5/article-2930003/The-town-encased-ice-Russian-streets-turned-huge-frozen-block-water-pipes-burst-storm-sub-zero-temper... 6/7

1/29/2015

Russian streets turned into frozen block after water pipes burst during storm | Daily Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new5/article-2930003/The-town-encased-ice-Russian-streets-turned-huge-frozen-block-water-pipes-burst-storm-sub-zero-temper... 7/7

Samuel Sarpong: “vampire pastors should be careful with

me” ghanaweb.com

Religion of Sunday, 22 March 2015

Samuel Sarpong: “vampire pastors should be careful with me’’

Story by: Listowell Yesu Bukarson, Freelance Journalist

The Former Ashanti Regional Minster, Hon. Dr. Samuel Sarpong has vowed to resist and
deal with quack men of God who feed on politicians by making false prophecies and
questionable demands from them, claiming to be praying for them and their political parties.
Sounding very furious and determined, Hon Dr Sarpong sounded a chisel warning to those
so-called men of God, whom he described as vampires seeking to milk politicians in the
name of God.

“Vampire pastors should be careful with me” he fumed

Hon. Dr Sarpong, who is also former Central Regional Minster and ex-Mayor of the Kumasi
Metropolitan Assembly, was reacting in an exclusive interview with this reporter, to reports
that he had caused the arrest and detention of one pastor Adjei.

“Three years ago, one Pastor Adjei called me asking for financial support to enable him and
his prayer team to intercede on behalf of the NDC party to win the 2012 elections”. He
revealed.

Asked what evidence he had to substantiate his claim that the pastor was pestering him, Hon.
Dr. Sarpong showed a text message from Pastor Adjei which read, “Hon. Good afternoon. I
had the privilege of meeting your Deputy and in the short time I tried to explain the issues.

We are asking for your support to organize a prayer crusade in Koforidua on 29th November
to intercede for the Nation and H.E as he turns 56. We count on your support. God bless.
Thanks Pastor Adjei”.

Hon. Dr. Sarpong said he decided to give Pastor Adjei Ghl, 500 because he noticed he
needed some financial support and also to stop the pastor from stressing him with more calls
and text messages.

“I then decided not to respond or attend to his subsequent calls and text messages only for
the pastor to resurface with more messages threatening my life and those of my family after
His Excellency the President, in his wisdom removed from office”.

One of the messages the former Regional Minster found threatening read, “Hon. Samuel
Sarpong, I hope by now you have learnt a lesson. My Pastor friends and I are embarking on a
prayer and fasting in order to hand you, your family and the NDC Party over to Satan in
accordance with 1 Timothy 1 :20b in order to teach you not to blaspheme. Sit back and watch
the destruction of your family. This will teach you not to disrespect men of god-Pastor Adjei”.
The Pastor followed up with another text message that read, “Which of your sons do you love
best?” He added.

Hon. Dr Sarpong said he found these messages and the attitude of the Pastor weird and
extremely suspicious.

“As a public servant with years of experience with all kinds of people, I knew straightaway
that, this was a calculated ploy by the pastor to extort money from me in the name of the

word of God. Am too experience to fall prey to such schemes from such charlatans, so I
entirely ignored the pastor and his threats" He said.

After a while, the pastor sent me another message that also read, “Hon. you owe the
Osonoma United 12,992.00 Cedis and as a result see the difficulties and embarrassments
accompanying you. You know the scriptures: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the
whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul. I leave
you in the hands of Satan. Just be careful when traveling in your vehicle. Pastor Adjei”

Hon. Dr Sarpong said, he found this message too threatening and one more such messages
way too many.

“This pastor again appeared on a Kumasi base radio station to fabricate, concoct and make
up stories aimed at maligning my reputation” He said.

“I had given him a long rope to bull, but like they say, you give a fool a long rope and he will
hang himself. So I caused his arrest with the complaints that he had succeeded to
threatening my life and that of my family" The former Minster explained.

Asked whether or not the Pastor is still in Police custody, Hon. Dr. Sarpong said, “Much as I
know he has been granted bail. He even sent me an apologetic message after he had been
bailed.

“Hon. I apologize for offending you. I needed to get your attention in order for you to assist us
clear these bills. I sincerely apologize for any trauma my text messages might have caused.
Thanks Pastor Adjei.

Hon. Dr Sarpong cautioned that, he will never allowed himself to be fooled by charlatans
parading themselves as men of God to dupe, rob, milk and steal from not only him, but the
public as well.

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San Serriffe

hoaxes.org

On April 1, 1977 the British newspaper The Guardian published a
seven-page "special report" about San Serriffe, a small republic
located in the Indian Ocean consisting of several semi-colon-
shaped islands. A series of articles described the geography and
culture of this obscure nation.

The report generated a huge response. The Guardian's phones
rang all day as readers sought more information about the idyllic
holiday spot. However, San Serriffe did not actually exist. The
report was an elaborate April Fool's Day joke — one with a
typographical twist, since numerous details about the island
(such as its name) alluded to printer's terminology.

widely credited with inspiring the British media's enthusiasm for
April Foolery in subsequent years.

The success of this hoax is

The seven-page San Serriffe supplement

The Creation of San Serriffe

Posted by eekamouse on Sun Apr 02, 2006 at 07:08 PM

I was initially hoaxed by this as a colleague presented it to me as being a place he had visited
while on his national service.

It took me about 2 pages before the penny dropped, not because of the printing terminology,
but because of some of the other proclaimed 'facts'

Posted by Ian Moseley in London on Mon Apr 03, 2006 at 12:00 PM
David Mckie is (as usual) right and I confused two separate stories. The Tenerife air crash
was the event that led to the change, and the Seychelles coup was a few months later. I think
I confused the two events because oif the similarity some of us on the paper noted to the
gimcrack events in the Syechelles and the description of San Seriffe a short time before.
Posted by exed in uk on Mon Apr 03, 2006 at 02:43 PM

I am the guy who invented San Serriffe being Special Reports Manager of The Guardian at
that time.

My original idea was to take the mickey out of the FT who were publishing long reports on
obscure emerging nations that nobody had ever heard of. So I decided to invent one of my
own.

Peter Preston was editor at the time and it was his decision to run with it. It was almost pulled
at the last minute because of the aircrash on Tenerife in which several hundred were killed.
We thought it might be in bad taste.

JWT exclusively booked every advertisement that appeared. It was personally handled by
their CEO.

The size of the report was governed by the value of ads booked.

We received 12,000 responses of one sort or another.San Serriffe received mentions in both
the UK and European Parliaments.

Philip Davies

Posted by Philip Davies on Sun Apr 23, 2006 at 09:05 AM
Anon,

I think what Patricia O. was trying to say is not that Graphic Designers don’t know typograpic
terms these days; because that is why we still go to school for (I am a Graphic Designer
myself and learned all that). I beleive she was referring to the people that are 'wanna be
Graphic Designers' simply because they get a computer that allows them to choose typefaces
and create home-made design; without the proper schooling.

Posted by Vico in Pasadena, CA USA on Tue Jun 13, 2006 at 05:26 PM

Hi, I remember it well and was a bit chuffed that i sprung it as a hoax while several of my

fellow Bristol universtiy students raved about how interesting it was.

The thing that gave it away was a job advertisement for (I think) Lunar Geologists, or
something to do with the moon. The salary was advertised in the local San Seriffe currency
(whatever that was) and elsewhere in the supplement it gave the exchange rate. If you did

the maths the job paid about 150,000 pounds, a bit rich even for a Moon specialist in 1977.
Posted by Steve Hall in Sydney, Australia on Mon Aug 07, 2006 at 03:46 AM
Since no-one has replied to Philip Davies' comment I would like to do so briefly as I have
accidentally stumbled on this website and remember the story. Quite honestly, Philip you
should be proud of yourself, etched in history as you are, along with your islands. Finest
traditions of British writers and all that. Thanks for coming online and giving a bit of the inside
track. Every year I dig around whatever my newspaper happens to be to see which the April
Fool story is. I was looking at the Times a couple of years back and some of the articles
seemed to me to be so ludicrous that it could have been any one of half a dozen,
best regards and congratulations

Posted by Ian Johnson in Surrey on Sun Nov 26, 2006 at 05:07 PM

My Dad (Derek Taylor) was Makeup Manager at The Guardian at the time, and greatly
enjoyed the whole thing.

He's visible as one of the over-dressed bodyguards in full uniform in one of the original
photographs of the President. (I wish I could find a copy online - if anyone knows of one,
please reply to this message.)

Posted by Adam Taylor in London on Sun Dec 10, 2006 at 04:05 PM

I was working in England at the time, and remember this very clever supplement with great
pleasure. I also was really smug at "getting the joke".

I have just found a reproduction of the supplement on a blog by Michael John Smith.

It starts at http://parellic.blogspot.com/2006/11/san-serriffe-secrets-of-guardian-spy.html with
a link to a scond part.

I hope you all enjoy it.

Posted by Peter Cuffe in Dublin, Ireland on Mon Dec 25, 2006 at 08:15 PM
I was living in London when the San Seriffe holiday supplement appeared.

I enjoyed it so much I kept it, and still have it.

The only one I know which equalled it was an April fool item which appeared in a very small
country newspaper in Australia during the 1960's.

The paper was the Macleay Argus ( Kempsey New South Wales), the editor - well, OK, they
wouldn't let her be the editor because she was a woman, but she did all the work while the
men did god knows what, printed that the Russians had landed at South West Rocks ( a local
beach).

Half of the district drove towards the hills to escape from the Russians, while the other half
drove towards the beach to see what Russians looked like.

Many years later she evidently said that neither group ever trusted her again.

My apologies for not being able to supply her name, although if anyone wants to know what it
was I can find it out.

Mary, Sydney April 3rd 07

Posted by Mary Sharah in Australia on Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 10:11AM
Even Wikipedia has an article about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Serriffe

as does Wikitravel:

http://wikitravel.org/en/San_Serriffe

And this year The Guardian is offering the Guardian Book of April Fool's Day, which of course
includes full details:

http://www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do?ISBN=9781845131555
Posted by anon in Elsewhere on Tue Apr 03, 2007 at 06:50 PM

The synopsis was written by my late father, Stuart St.Clair-Legge. He was chuffed to bits that
the story caught out the BBC who relayed it on a news broadcast. I still have a complete copy
of the supplement. If there are any clever people out there (London)who could somehow scan
it (it's broadsheet so needs A2 size scanner) and post it up on the web, I'd be happy to
arrange something. It's full of amusing adverts such as one by Kodak inviting people to send
in their holiday snaps etc. Liz

Posted by Liz St Clair-Legge in London on Thu Apr 26, 2007 at 11:36 AM

And of course don't forget the T-Shirts that were sold for The University of San Serriff.

I still have mine somewhere!

Posted by Steve on Wed Nov 21, 2007 at 08:14 AM

Saw this on the world's greatest hoaxes and thought it was one of the funniest things I’ve
seen in years. Got it right away, and yes, I'm also a graphic design student. Of course, in the
mid-70s, there wasn't such a subject for study, only communications and maybe journalism
unless you studied print as a trade. Nice to hear that other designers are as well educated
and have a sense of humor.

Posted by D in CALIFORNIA on Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 07:16 PM

I remember it well and I think we still have the memorable supplement. I particularly liked the
ad for San Serriffe Guiness - white with black froth. After a year or two I seem to remember
an article saying that the movement of the sands had transported it through the Panama
Canal and into the Caribbean!

Posted by Ros Flinn in Lancashire, England on Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 10:08 AM
I would love a hi-res scan of the 7 pages... can you do that?

Posted by Mark Thompson in New England on Thu Apr 25, 2013 at 12:15 PM
@Mark The scans I have at the top of the article are unfortunately the best I have right now.
Click on the thumbnail for each page to see larger versions.

Posted by The Curator in San Diego on Thu Apr 25, 2013 at 04:41 PM

Philip Davies, who was in charge of the Guardian's Special Reports department, came up
with the idea of an April Fool's Day feature about a fictitious island state. "Special Reports"
were sections of the paper occasionally given over to exploring a subject (such as a country
or a technology) in depth. Typically the subjects were quite dull, but lucrative from the
newspaper’s point-of-view since they were designed to attract related advertising.

Davies conceived of a special report about a fictitious island as a parody of the genre. He
was later quoted as saying, "The Financial Times was always doing special reports on little
countries I'd never heard of. I was thinking about April Fool's Day 1977 and I thought: why
don't we just make a country up?"

Davies approached the other editors at The Guardian, and they enthusiastically embraced
the concept. One of its great selling points was not only that it would be a funny joke, but also
that it would be possible to get advertisers to play along. In other words, the spoof special
report could make The Guardian a lot of money.

Davies had imagined a small, one-page feature, but the other editors, realizing the potential,
decided to expand it into a seven-page supplement, making it the largest special report the
Guardian had ever published.

Geoffrey Taylor was given the task of editing and designing the feature. He enlisted a crew of
other writers, including Mark Arnold-Forster (writer of The World at War TV series), Tim
Radford, and Stuart St. Clair-Legge. St. Clair-Legge came up with the idea for the name "San
Serriffe," which then inspired further typographical allusions. St. Clair-Legge also wrote the
synopsis from which the spoof was developed.

The Guardian turned to the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson to find companies willing
to participate in the hoax. This proved to be an easy job.

The Special Report

The special report, when it was completed, consisted of seven pages, four of which were
devoted to ads. Articles, written in a quasi-serious style that parodied the prose of special
reports, examined the history, culture, and economy of San Serriffe.

The supplement commenced with an introduction by Geoffrey Taylor:

The ten years of independence which San Serriffe celebrates today have been a period of
economic expansion and social development probably unrivalled by any other new nation.
With this achievement has gone a determined attempt, in part successful, to maintain the
outward forms of a parliamentary democracy. This special report, edited and introduced by
Geoffrey Taylor, attempts to recount the remarkable transformation in the life of the Republic,
to inform British investors and visitors of the opportunities which have been and are being
created, and not least to encourage companies trading with the Republic to call attention to
their share in its development. Rapid growth brings its own problems, not all of which can be
solved in total composure. The survey allows some of those problems to be brought under
closer scrutiny.

Articles included:

"Three point key to prosperity" by Geoffrey Taylor, which described how San Serriffe's
economy had boomed thanks to the phosphate industry, tourism, and oil.

"The block vote which resulted in industrial peace" by John Torode, which discussed San
Serriffe's unique solution to union/management cooperation -- all collective agreements on
the island expire on the same day each year and are personally renegotiated by Antonio
"Che" Pica, second cousin of the President.

"The leader's rise to power" by Mark Arnold-Forster, which discussed how Maria-Jesu Pica,
San Serriffe's young President-for-life, came to power following an almost bloodless coup on
May 11, 1971.

"Bold expansion in tourism" by Adrienne Keith Cohen, which discussed the many tourist
attractions of San Serriffe, including a diverse mix of cultures, modern highways, air-
conditioned hotels, and beaches "from which terrorism has been virtually eliminated."

"Transposed by the tides" by Anthony Tucker, which discussed San Serriffe's unique
geological characteristic — the constant eastward movement of the islands caused by tidal
erosion.

"Casting off into unknown wealth" by Victor Keegan, which discussed San Serriffe's
transformation from a small agricultural economy into an industrial steel-exporting force to be
reckoned with.

"Spiking the cultural roots" by Tim Radford, which discussed the cultural heritage of San
Serriffe's indigenous people, the Flongs, focusing on their unique celebration, the Festival of
the Well Made Play. During this festival "local committees of Flongs and islanders of
European extraction combine enthusiastically to mount the complete cycle of plays by William
Douglas-Home in English, Caslon, and Ki-flong."

Sidebars in the supplement included "Guide to the Republic" and "Landmarks in History."
These offered brief details about San Serriffe's demographics, geography, and history.

San Serriffe Geography

Bodoni, capital of San Serriffe

According to the supplement, San Serriffe was an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean,

north-east of the Seychelle Islands. It consisted of two primary
islands, Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse. The capital, Bodoni, was
located in the center of the larger island, Upper Caisse. The smaller
island, Lower Caisse, had a swampy interior as well as a forested
area, the Woj of Type (home of San Serriffe's national bird, the
Kwote).

Geoffrey Taylor designed a map of San Serriffe, based on the islands
of New Zealand. His map shows the islands forming a semicolon

The most singular feature of San Serriffe's geography was its mobility. Due to a constant
process of erosion that removed sand from the west coast and deposited it on the east coast,
the islands were moving eastward at the rate of 1400 meters a year. It was anticipated that
the islands would collide with Sri Lanka in 2011. To slow down this movement, boats
constantly ferried sand from the east coast back to the west.

shape.

Diagram of San Serriffe sand erosion

The idea to make San Serriffe an itinerant island chain
came about by accident. Initially the Guardian staff had
located San Serriffe in the Atlantic, off the Canaries. But on
March 27, two jets collided in the fog at Tenerife Airport,
causing the death of 583 people. Sensing that it would be
in bad taste to locate their spoof island in the region of this disaster, the Guardian staffers
moved the islands, at the last minute, to the Indian Ocean. This relocation inspired the idea
that the islands should be migratory.

In subsequent years, the shifting location of San Serriffe became a running gag in The
Guardian. The island would reappear in different locations, popping up in the South China
Sea, and even the Atlantic.

The spelling of San Serriffe also became a recurring joke, since it rarely followed any
consistent pattern. Spellings of the name included San Seriffe, San Serriffee, and San Serriff.

San Serriffe Culture

General Pica

The origin of San Serriffe's indigenous people, the Flongs, was regarded
as a mystery. Ancient inscriptions written in their language, Ki-flong,
suggested they may have come from Brazil, before the movement of the
islands eventually brought them to the Indian Ocean. However, "the Flong
language may have been modified in relatively recent times during the
transit of the islands round the African coast." The Flongs practiced a
number of colorful rituals, including the Galle sect stamping, the Dance of
the Pied Slugs, and the Festival of the Well Made Play.

The islands were colonized by the Spanish and Portuguese in the fifteenth
century, before being annexed by Britain in the seventeenth century. The supplement
described continuing "antagonisms between descendants of the original Spanish and
Portuguese colons and those of the later English arrivals, sometimes humorously derided as
the semicolons."

San Serriffe achieved its independence from Britain in 1967. It was then ruled by a
succession of dictators (Colonel Hispalis and General Minion) before General M.J. Pica
assumed control of the government in 1971.

The discovery of oil in 1971 brought large amounts of money into the economy, and sparked
rapid industrialization. By 1977 the inhabitants of San Serriffe enjoyed the highest per capita
income in the world. The island's currency was the Corona.

In 1977 the population stood at 1,782,000, consisting of Europeans, Flongs, Creoles,
Malaysians, Arabs, and "a leavening of Chinese".

San Serriffe Advertisements

Four out of seven pages in the San Serriffe supplement consisted of advertising. The
presence of these ads by major corporations added a strong element of credibility to the
supplement. Many people considered these ads their favorite part of the supplement, since all
the advertisers played along with the joke in humorous ways.

Advertisers included:

Guinness, who described how the San Serriffe version of their stout was
upside down. "How San Serriffe turned Guinness upside down: It was
after the freak barley crop of '56 that the local inhabitants of San Serriffe
first began to notice a change in their beer. The taste was the same. It
still poured slowly and evenly. But the white head turned out black, and
the strong dark body was white. Experts put it down to the novice farm
helpers who spent their holiday in San Serriffe that year. Knowing little
about crops, they sowed the barley seeds upside down."

Texaco, who offered racing fans a chance to win a vacation on San Serriffe's Cocobanana

WIN TWO WEEKS IN
SAJ* btKHIH’t Ai

OF JAMES HUNT.

Beach. "Win two weeks in San Serriffe as the guest of James Hunt: Motor
racing fans, here's your chance to win a fabulous luxury holiday for two on
the beautiful island of San Serriffe during Grand Prix Week. You and your
guest will be flown first-class to San Serriffe by chartered aircraft, and
driven to your hotel overlooking the famous Cocobanana Beach."

Kodak, who ran a competition for the best photographs of San
Serriffe. "If you've got a photograph of San Serriffe, Kodak
would like to see it: ... Kodak are looking for photographs
taken by amateur photographers which truly reflect the
evanescent beauty of these fabulous islands. They will be
collected together to form an Exhibition, entitled "The
Legendary Beauty of San Serriffe," which will be mounted at
this time, next year."

Vladivar Vodka ran an official greeting from the "People's
Republic of Warrington," where their drink was distilled.

The Guardian itself invented a fake ad, inviting applicants for
the position of Reader in Lunar Spectroscopy at the University of San Serriffe. "Department of
Lunar Studies: A vacancy will shortly exist for a Reader in Lunar Spectroscopy. With special
emphasis on the extraction of energy from moonbeams. The post is tenable from October
1st, 1977, at a salary in the range SSCorona 5,650-7,100. (At present exchange rates Cl —
£4.30 sterling). Free housing and use of outrigger." Many people sent in their CV. One
applicant began his letter, "Although not a lunar spectroscopist..." and proceeded to ask if any
other positions were available.

The Response

The San Serriffe supplement generated an enormous reponse. The Guardian reported that its
phones rang all day as people called up requesting more information about the island. Later
hundreds of letters arrived. One of these was from a group calling itself the San Serriffe
Liberation Front, who took the newspaper to task for the pro-government slant of its report.

David McKie, remembering the hoax in a 2006 article in the Guardian, wrote:

The impact of the seven-page survey was quite astonishing. The office all day was bedlam as
people pestered the switchboard with requests for more information. Both travel agencies and
airlines made official complaints to the editor, Peter Preston, about the disruption as
customers simply refused to believe that the islands did not exist. Veterans of that time say
there's never been a day like it in terms of reader response. Over the past 30 years, San
Serriffe has entered the language as a kind of flawed utopia and one American writer has
published a series of erudite books about its publishing industry. Geoffrey Taylor now lives in
New Zealand, and messages reaching the Guardian early this morning suggest that San
Serriffe is floating today just off the South Island.

The Guardian also sold "I've been to San Serriffe" bumper stickers and 12,000 San Serriffe t-
shirts.

The success of the hoax is widely credited with inspiring the flood of April Fool's Day jokes
that appeared in other British papers in succeeding years.

The Sequel

On April 1, 1978 the Guardian published a San Serriffe sequel. This consisted often pages of
spoof front pages from San Serriffe newspapers, syled after the leading British papers. The
SS Sunday Times, News of the SS World, SS Irish Times, SS Telegraph, SS Times, SS
Morning Star, SS Guardian, and SS Financial Times each got a full page. The tabloids
(SSun, SS Express, SS Mirror, and SS Daily Mail) got half a page each.

The style of this predecessor was more slapstick than its predecessor. It was generally felt to
be less successful than the original

The Guardian never again devoted a full supplement to San Serriffe. However, in later years
it did publish articles about the island state. Most notably, the April 1 , 1999 edition of the
Guardian featured "Return to San Serriffe."

In this update, readers learned that in 1989 General Pica had been deposed by a cabal of
senior officers, and in 1997 Antonio Bourgeois was swept to power in the island's first free
elections.

Spinoffs

Since 1977, a large body of secondary material about San Serriffe has been created by fans.

♦ Brian Green created a Friends of San Serriffe club in Welwyn Garden City. He appointed
himself as its "life president." In this role, he wrote a number of letters to the Guardian, such
as one in which he claimed that the island nation planned to boycott the Eurovision Song
Contest because its entry, Pica Pica Boom Boom singing "Flongratulations," had apparently
raised objections.

♦ A Texas Man created San Serriffe diplomatic plates for his car.

• A professor at Liverpool University invented San Serriffe - The Game.

• Henry Morris, owner of the Bird & Bull Press in Pennsylvania, has published a series of
books about San Serriffe, many of them under the name of his alter-ego, Theodore Bachaus.
His books include: Booksellers of San Serriffe; First Fine Silver Coinage Of The Republic Of
San Serriffe; and The World's Worst Marbled Papers: Being a Collection of Ten
Contemporary San Serriffean Marbled Papers Showing the Lowest Level of Technique, the
Worst Combinations of Colors, and the Most Inferior Execution Known Since the Dawn of the
Art of Marbling Collected by the Author During a Five Year Expedition to the Republic of San

Serriffe.

• David Hamilton wrote The South-Sea Brithers: History of the San Serriffe Golf Club. This
satirical work tells the history of the Great North Bodoni Railway Company golf club at Port
Baskerville, San Serriffe.

* In 2006 the Wikitravel website published an April Fool's Day article about San Serriffe.

Off in "San Seriffe"

the islands keep on moving
through imagined seas.

(by L.)

• San Serriffe secrets of Guardian spy trial exhibit. Operation Billiards.

• Links To Micro-National and Fantasy Coins

• Wainwright, Martin. (2007). The Guardian Book of April Fool's Day. Aurum Press.

• McKie, David. (April 1, 2006).

Guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/story/0„ 1744583, 00. htm I" target="_blank">"Foolish
Things." The Guardian.

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via Feedburner

I remember this one very well, because I worked at a printing firm. T o me, it was sooooooo
obviously a clever hoax, but if you didn't know anything about printing (or geography I
suppose), it was a normal piece of reporting. Thought at the tome it was very clever, as in
those days, the print trade was a closed shop.

Posted by Richard Baxter in Margate, England on Sun Mar 28, 2004 at 03:17 PM

You know... I truly believe that if you ran that same story today... you would still mistify the
better part of our population.

At least back then, the world had true typographers... Now we have wanna be "graphic
designers" who still wouldn't recognize a serif from a sans serif!

Posted by Patricia O. on Thu Apr 01, 2004 at 10:38 AM

One of the most wonderful spinoffs from the Guardian story in 1977 was the book - one of the
most precious in my island library of over 3,000 title - The Private Presses of San Serriffe. If
anyone is interested I can send full details and an extract or two. I can also send my
contribution to todays tomfoolery. My quote for today (above my signature) "Only fools dig for
the treasure that was never buried" (Chinese Proverb).

Posted by lain Orr in UK on Thu Apr 01, 2004 at 02:27 PM

One of the things you have to understand about this particular hoax was that the Guardian
printed special supplements on real countries on a regular basis and this looked exactly like
one of these. It included history, geography, cultural and vacation information (thomas Cooke,
one of Britain's leading tourist agencies were apparently innundated by people wanting to
take a vacation there). Another notable point was thatthese idyllic islands actually moved. For
six months of the year fierce currents washed against one side of the islands and then for the

other six months gentle currents deposited what had been washed away at the other end.

All in all a wonderful place to visit as it was always changing.

Posted by Richard Boyle in Vancouver Island Canada on Mon May 10, 2004 at 01:59 PM
Excuse me, but I'm a graphic designer, and in my multimedia class we did learn the
difference between serif from sans serif. Please don't judge unless you know what you're
talking about, Patricia.

Posted by Anon on Sun Jun 06, 2004 at 12:23 PM

What was never admitted was that there was a significant crisis a couple of days before the
San Serriffe supplement was published. In those days a supplement of that size had to be set
well before publication day (not least because of the shenanigans of the print unions in that
hot metal era). Originally San Serriffe was placed in the Indian Ocean and one of the stories
speculated about the way the islands were drifting slowly towards the coast of India. At the
end of March there was a coup in the Seychelles and somebody realised that a supplement
poking fun at a place called San Serriffe while there was mayhem going on in another bunch
of islands with a similar name in the same ocean was not a good idea. So San Serriffe was
rapidly moved to a spot off Namibia. Except that no-one changed the story about bumping
into India, which would have involved drifting a couple of thousand miles. (As Night News
Editor on the paper at that time I was peripherally involved, but I think that mistake persisted
through all editions that night.

Oh and the artwork of the map which appeared in the supplement is in the British Musum
cartographic hoaxes room, but no-one at the paper ever discovered how it got there...

Posted by exed on Thu Sep 29, 2005 at 02:51 PM

I googled San Serif today 2nd Nov 2005 because I was reminded of it by a wonderful spoof in
today's Guardian. They introduced a new "hand crafted" Japanese puzzle in response to the
current craze for sudoku etc. called Maru-batsu.

Theres an article about its creator and a full page of example games played out move by
move on Japanese type grids. Its tic-tac-toe. Brilliantly done, nearly 40 years on and still as
daft!

Posted by steve mcaulay in Yorkshire England on Wed Nov 02, 2005 at 10:28 AM
It's typesetting terminology not print terminology.

Posted by T.Setter in England on Fri Mar 17, 2006 at 02:37 PM

The joke lives on in the private press world. The Bird & Bull Press has published a number of
additional things at least two books on "San Serrife" and have even printed money and had
coins made. One book is available at their web site and for money and coinage try
http://www.oakknoll/com and search on "San Serriffe" this is an antiquarian book dealer I
used to work for.

Posted by J. Laird in Maryland on Sun Apr 02, 2006 at 12:02 AM

This year David McKie (of the Guardian) shared some of the internal happenings when the

San Serriffe supplement was being produced:

http://www. gua rdian. co. uk/Colum nists/Column/0,, 1744581 ,00. html

including the air crash on Tenerife just before publication, which caused the islands to be

moved from that area.

Posted by anon on Sun Apr 02, 2006 at 02:06 PM

Yep, I remember when this came out.l knew nothing of typesetting terminology, but was
mystified by the 37 year old leader with his Minister sons.

Scafell Pike's top inch ’stolen' by artist

bbc.com

• 25 March 2015

• From the section Cumbria

Tourism bosses in Cumbria
have called for the return of
"a crucial piece" of England's
highest mountain, which is on
display in a London art
gallery.

The one inch piece of stone
was taken from the top of
Scafell Pike by artist Oscar
Santillan and features in his
exhibition at the Copperfield
Gallery.

Cumbria Tourism said this
was "taking the Mickey" and wanted the "top of the mountain" returned.

Mr Santillan said he had "not harmed" the landscape.

At 978m (3,209ft), Scafell Pike is the highest peak in England.

The artist likened his removal of the rock to taking a pebble from a beach.

"That is what I have done in making my work The Intruder'," he added.

Ian Stephens, from Cumbria Tourism, said: "We are all aware that Cumbria's landscape has
long inspired generations of artists, who have all taken a piece of this landscape away in the
figurative sense.

"But this is taking the Mickey and we want the top of our mountain back."

Cumbria' slandscapehaslonginspiredgenerationsofarti

sts

Scientists discover weird similarity between skin cells and
FAIRY CIRCLES

express.co.uk

ONE can only be seen under a microscope and the other mysteriously appears in the
middle of the Namibian desert.

By Levi Winchester

PUBLISHED: 21:17, Tue, Apr 7, 2015

But despite their evidently
different size scales, scientists
believe they have found a weird
connection between skin cells
and so-called "fairy circles".

In a coincidence which was
previously unheard of in nature,
experts have suggested that
both skin cells and fairy circles
have closely matched distribution
patterns.

Fairy circles are considered one
of nature's greatest mysteries as no-one knows how they form - despite previous theories of
rolling zebras and underground gasses.

Photographs of the strange phenomenon show them to be large patches of earth ringed by
short grass that dot the desert landscape - much like moon craters.

While their distribution may at first appear random, researchers have said they actually follow
a pattern - and that it is virtually identical to the pattern displayed by skin cells.

Professor Robert
Sinclair, from the
Okinawa Institute of
Science and
Technology in Japan,
said: "It's a completely
amazing, strange
match.

"It is still difficult to say
why exactly they are
similar, but the fact
that they are similar is
already very

important.

"This is suggesting there may be such types of patterns that cover really different size
scales."

Professor Sinclair and his team used computer software and satellite images to compare a
number of neighbours adjacent to fairy circles in the Namibian desert and skin cells.

The results shocked the experts, with each case showing the majority of both fairy circles and
skin cells having six immediate neighbours.

It also revealed that the percentage of fairy circles with four, five, six, seven, eight and nine
neighbours was also essentially the same as that of skin cells.

Professor Sinclair said: "I didn't expect it to be so close. We spent a lot of time checking
because it really looked too close to believe."

The researchers, whose findings appear in the journal Ecological Complexity, suspect the
patterns might be similar because both skin cells and fairy circles are fighting for space.

If true, scientists might one day be able to glean information about systems just by analysing
patterns.

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16/02

thelocal.it

Published: 13 Mar 2015 08:55 GMT+01:00

Forensic experts in Italy said on Thursday they had reconstructed the DNA of a
national war hero and poet by analyzing semen he left on a handkerchief given to a
lover 100 years ago.

In a global first, the proto-fascist warmonger Gabriele D'Annunzio's DNA was reconstructed
without exhuming his remains, forensic police said, raising hopes the technique could be
used to solve cold cases.

D'Annunzio (1863-1938) gave the semen-splashed hankie to his lover, Countess Olga Levi
Brunner, in 1916 as a souvenir after a night of passion.

Police in Cagliari in Sardinia analyzed the handkerchief, a letter the countess had penned to
her beau and an ivory toothbrush conserved in the archives of the Vittoriale degli Italiani
foundation.

Using a crimescope light they identified splotches of a liquid on the material not visible to the
naked eye and compared the DNA results with that of Federico D'Annunzio, the right-wing
revolutionary's great grandson.

Foundation chief Giordano Bruno Guerri joked that the experiment might even open the door
to the future cloning of historical figures even if their remains have been lost.

"Nobody wants to clone D'Annunzio, but nobody knows what changes will take place in
science and society. It's good the DNA has been collected," he said.

In 1919, D'Annunzio seized the city of Fiume, in what is now Croatia, to set up an
independent state.

The state, which had a charter that foreshadowed the later Italian fascist system, fell a year
later after a bombardment by the Italian navy.

His poems are still studied today in Italian schools.

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After analysing all the reports, long-time Fatima researcher. Dr Joaquim
Fernandes. concluded that, ‘we can consider Fatima as the prototype of the
UFO experience process. It is perhaps the most spectacular mass sighting of
the 20th Century.’*!

References

1. Begbie, Harold. On the Side of the Angels (London: Hodder and Stoughton.
1915 ).

2. Machen, Arthur, The Bowmen and other Legends of the War (London:
Simpkin Marshall. 1915).

3. Clarke, David, The Angel of Mons: Phantom Soldiers and Ghostly Guardians
(West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2004).

4. Quotes from UFO experts obtained via email dated May and June 2014.

5. McClure, Kevin. 'Visions of Bowmen and Angels'. Magonia website, at:
magonia.haaan.conv2009/visions-of-bowmen-and-angels-kevin-mcclure/.

0. Fernandes, Joaquim and D’Armada, Fina, Heawnly Lights: The Apparitions
of Fatima and the UFO Phenomenon ( V it Iona. B.C.: EcceNova, 2005).

SEVENTEEN

RECOLLECTIONS
OF UFOS PAST

The Aldeburgh plalform

Several UFO-like encounters were allegedly made during the First World
War but many are recollections reported to ufologists in the ’flying saucer’
era that began in June 1947. One such report surfaced in 1968, when Mr A.E.
Whiteland, of Saxmundham. Suffolk, wrote this letter to the Daily Mirror
newspaper:

My mother has often told the following story over the years and. as she is
eighty-four. I would like to find out for her who these mystery men were and
what they were doing.

This is tlu* story. It was about the middle of World War One and on a
weekday. Mother was living at Aldeburgh. Suffolk. She had gone upstairs
just before dinner, opened the casement window and looked out to see who
might be on the road.

Having looked up and down and noticed there was no one in sight, she
was about to step hack when something urged her to look again.

A little above the level of the house eight to twelve men appeared on what
seemed to be a round platform with a handrail around it. Tills they were
gripping tightly.

She could see them so clearly. They were wearing blue uniforms and little
round hats, not unlike sailors'. She heard no sound from the machine as it
came oft the marshes. It turned a bit and went over the railway yard to
disappear behind some houses. >

The First explanation for this was that she had seen an observation carriage
lowered from a Zeppelin. UFO researcher Carl Grove wrote to aviation
historian Charles H. Gibbs-Smith asking if this was possible, his reply

Clear search

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O El $

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Contents w

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After analysing all the reports, long-time Fatima researcher. Dr Joaquim
Fernandes, concluded that, ‘we can consider Fatima as the prototype of the
UFO experience process. It is perhaps the most spectacular mass sighting of
the 20th Century.’*!

References

1. Begbie, Harold. On the Side of the Angels (London: Hodder and Stoughton.
1915 ).

2. Machen, Arthur. The Bowmen and other Legends of the War (London:
Simpkin Marshall. 1915).

3. Clarke, David, The Angel of Mons: Phantom Soldiers and Ghostly Guardians
(West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons Lid, 2004).

4. Quotes from UFO experts obtained via email dated May and June 2014.

5. McClure, Kevin. 'Visions of Bowmen and Angels'. Magonia website, at:
magonia.haaan.conv2009/visions-of-bowmen-and-angels-kevin-mcclure/.

0. Fernandes, Joaquim and D’Armada, Fina, Heawnly Lights: The Apparitions
of Fatima and the UFO Phenomenon (Victoria. B.C.: EcceNova, 2005).

SEVENTEEN

RECOLLECTIONS
OF UFOS PAST

The Aldeburgh plalform

My mother has often told the following story over the years and. as she is
eighty-four. I would like to find out for her who these mystery men were and
wh.it they were doing.

This is tlu* story. It was uhout the middle of World War One and on a
weekday. Mother was living at Aldeburgh. Suffolk. She had gone upstairs
just before dinner, opened the casement window and looked out to see who
might be on the road.

Having looked up and down and noticed there was no one in sight, she
was about to step back when something urged her to look again.

A little above the level of the house eight to twelve men appeared on what
seemed to be a round platform with a handrail aiound it. Tills they were
gripping tightly.

Clear search

Googk

Aldeburgh Platform

+viia

Books

Q, Q. ^ l=ts| ' J GO Add to my library Write review

Contents - (

Resurt 1 of 1 in this book for Aldeburgh Platform

emphatically staled that these observation gondolas

... were tiny streamlined things to take one man. and he was in telephonic
touch with the Commander up above. They were also never suspended low
down near the ground since they could be easily attacked by rifle and
machine gun fire. There is not the remotest possibility that what Mrs
Whiteland saw was anything connected with Zeppelins..'

Even though Carl carried out a thorough investigation, he was not able to
come up with .my plausible explanation. The only possibility was that over
years the witness had perhaps confused this incident with an actual Zeppelin
crash at nearby Holly Tree Farm. Thebenon on the night of 17 June 1917.
Sixteen of the crew were burnt to death and buried in the local churchyard.
Indeed, it is wondered if her UFO sighting was a screen memory of this crash
as a form of mental protection from a horrific incident.' A more recent
explanation is that this was a sighting of visitors using a time machine to
come back to a significant time in human history .•*

Flaming onions

The story of ‘flaming onions' has more credibility and is just as intriguing.
Denis Winter recounted in his book. The First of the Few: Fighter Pilots of
the First World War.

Then there were the feared 'flaming onions’, fired from rocket guns to
become green glowing balls which twisted about like live things and seemed
to chase an aeroplane, turning over end on end in a leisurely way ...j

Ihey were terrifying because they moved too fast for an aircraft to lake
evasive action, and nobody knew what they were. There was speculation that
they were ranging mechanisms like tracer bullets, or phosphorescent
Napolconic-type cannon balls linked by wire or chain.

One explanation is that the flaming onions were fired by a German anti-
aircraft gun called a ‘l.ichtspucker* (light splitter). This was like a Gatling
gun that had five rotating barrels that could fire a string of flares a distance of
5.000 feet. Since they were fired so rapidly they gave the impression to pilots
that they were connected by a wire.b

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Three slain in 1969-70

Strangler in Calgary
=|JS5§£2 linked to murders here

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;Mtom«*dc»Pwu Ww—ma M itan» wu taMCMt dtawd^M -m^dM wa tawji MOW" adiwad IMI

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ta w i«b Boaiaa Uibui aed • Mm d Btd M MV
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Dm! tal lar ita pdf aat ra« a >arta« M la
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• — Mm, Ita r d ata tap M It aatamd la adac
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—I taa tai am .ta titan , aaaaawsd M ata.
tantar »aH ta Ot Im d dm aa m aad d )twa t r

SEE PAGE 19 FOR

ARlsNGTOM

SMASHING SKI SALE

OUR WEEK-END Fri. Noon
SPECIAL S a.m. Mon.

OUR THRIFTY ONE si 4 .95

Screw-In Coffin Vertical Burial Container

cjltofweird.com

Inventor Donald Scruggs patented the Easy Inter Burial Container, a coffin that screws into
the ground to enable easier interment and space-saving vertical burials. Three different lid
options allow for customization of your eternal rest: burial container half interred, fully interred
with a plaque, or fully interred with a headstone.

Read the patent here: Easy Inter Burial
Container

About Charlie Hintz

Cult of Weird founder and curator of the
bizarre. Send weird news, photos and videos
to: info@cultofweird.com Follow on:
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+

One Comment

1. I like the way this guy’s mind works!

<img src= "http://www. cultofweird. com/wp-

ait-'Diagram demonstrates how a body fits inside the sciew- anc j oddities. Contact: info@Cultofweird.com
in coffin" width="640" height="480" class="aiignnone size-full
wp-image-3219" f>

<img src=”http://www. cultofweird.com/wp- <img

content/uploads/201 4/05/screw-in-coffin.jpg" alt- 'Easy inter src= "http://www.cultofweird.com/wp
burial container - the screw-in coffin" width="640" content/uploads/201 4/05/screw-in-
height="486" class-'alignnone size-full wp-image-3217" /> coffin-burial.jpg " alt= "Various ways

a screw-in coffin can be interred"

width="640" height= "852 "
class-'alignnone size-full wp-
image-3221" f>

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Sea lion attacks man on boat holding fish

By Pat Maio 5:36 p.m.

mission beach utsandiego.com

— A 62-year old man on a boat in the Mission Beach Channel was attacked Sunday by a sea
lion that grabbed the man’s hand, which was holding a fish, and pulled him overboard,
officials said.

The sea lion lunged over a railing on the boat and latched onto his hand and the fish, pulling
the man under the water several feet around 4 p.m. He was released several seconds later,
said Capt. Joe Amador, a spokesman with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Lifeguards rescued the man and brought him to shore, where he was evaluated by medics.

The man, who was not identified, was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment of
lacerations to his hand and feet, Amador said.

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Search for the Third Buddha of Bamiyan - Historic
Mysteries

May 12, 2012

historicmysteries.com

The known Buddhas of Bamiyan were two
standing Buddhas carved into a cliff face in the
Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan. The two Buddhas
towered over the surrounding landscape. In fact,
they towered over every other standing Buddha
statue in the entire world. These two 6th-century
examples of the Buddhist history of Afghanistan
were truly unmatched. However, according to at
least one contemporary witness account, they
were not alone. There was a third Buddha of
Bamiyan — a Buddha far larger than its two

The two Buddhas of Bamiyan that lasted until modern times were 180 and 121 feet tall. They
were built roughly 50 years apart between 544 and 644 CE. The bulk of the materials used to
carve the Buddhas came directly from the cliff. More specifically, they were part of the cliff
and remained so after the carving. More intricate parts of the Buddhas were made with straw
and mud, but that did not last. Sadly, time was not the only enemy of the Buddhas of
Bamiyan. The Taliban destroyed both of them nearly completely in 2001 for religious reasons.

Buddhas might sound out of place in an Islamic nation. However, when they were built, the
area was not Islamic. Buddhist monks occupied Bamiyan Valley and the caves in its cliffs. It
is not hard to imagine that the monks responsible for commissioning or building the huge
Buddhas and for painting the caves of the valley with religious images would have built more
than those two Buddhas. In fact, a third Buddha was found in 2008 by a team searching for
the third Buddha of legend, but it was not the third Buddha.

The idea of a third Buddha of Bamiyan is not a modern one. In about 630 CE, Xuanzang of
China visited Bamiyan and wrote of both Buddhas, describing them as we know them and
saying they were adorned with gold and gems. He also described a third Buddha, which was
a reclining Buddha. This third Buddha, were it standing, would have reportedly stood
somewhere around 1,000 feet. The reclining Buddha uncovered in Bamiyan Valley in 2008
was a mere 62 feet in length. Xuanzang could have grossly exaggerated the dimensions of
the third Buddha. However, it seems odd that he would bother, given the dimensions of the
known the Buddhas. It also seems odd that he would recollect a 62-foot Buddha as 4 times
larger than one that is nearly 200-feet tall!

Currently, the search for the third Buddha of Bamiyan and the team that found the 62-foot
reclining Buddha are led by former Director of Archaeology and Preservation of Historical
Monuments in Afghanistan Dr. Zemaryalai Tarzi. Tarzi spent years stabilizing the two known
Buddhas and then left Afghanistan when the Soviets invaded. He stayed out of the country
for 23 years, returning in 2002 to seek the third Buddha and excavate in the Bamiyan Valley.

Gap left by a destroyed Buddha courtesy of Mr.
Afghanistan

counterparts were.

He is currently seeking the third Buddha in the “Eastern Monastery,” according to the
Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology.

Excavations of the “Eastern Monastery” will take decades to complete. Therefore, it will be a
long wait before we know if the third Buddha is indeed there. Nonetheless, there are bound to
be some great discoveries made while the excavation takes place, regardless of whether a
colossal Buddha is discovered underground.

Sources

Drobek, Niels, News that 3rd Buddha in Bamiyan found..., retrieved 5/1 1/12,
http://www.bamiyan-development.org/news/news-that-3rd-buddha-in-bamiyan-found
Bamiyan Buddhas Photo Gallery, retrieved 5/11/12,

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/photogalleries/bamiyan-buddhas-pictures-

missions/index.html

APAA Archaeology Page, retrieved 5/11/12, http://www.apaa.info/APAA/Archaeology.html?
PHPSESSID=f43b0e58d75e719065792cc91ba9b631

Secret Nazi hideout discovered in Argentine jungle

upi.com

Secret Nazi hideout discovered in Argentine jungle

Entrance of the Nazi flag bearers at the Party Day rally
in Nuremberg, 1933. Photo by Everett
Historical/Shutterstock

It consists of three buildings -- one apparently for
housing, one for storage and another as a
possible lookout.

Though it is known some prominent Nazi leaders
did flee to Argentina when the Nazis were defeated in World War II, it is believed none of
them used the predetermined hideouts. Instead, the researchers say there was no reason to
use the hideouts, as they could freely live in towns without persecution.

It doesn't seem the
! By Thor Benson

hideout was ever occupied by Nazis.

March 23, 2015 at 7:07 PM

BUENOS AIRES, March 23 (UPI) - Researchers
in Argentina have discovered what they believe
to be a hideout meant for Nazis in case of a
defeat during World War II.

The researchers, from the University of Buenos
Aires, found Nazi coins and swastikas carved
into walls at the location. The hideout is deep in
the jungle near the town of San Ignacio, and it
was overgrown with plant life.

© 2015 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or
modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPl's prior written consent.

Secret Tomb of Genghis Khan - Historic Mysteries

January 12, 2010 historicmysteries.com

The death of Genghis Khan, the emperor who united the tribes of Mongolia and led them to
create the largest empire in the world, was shrouded in secrecy the moment he died on 18
August 1227. But where is he buried? The secret tomb of Genghis Khan continues to be
mystery in 21st century.

Legend states that when Genghis Khan’s mortal remains were brought back to Mongolia, the
slaves who built his tomb were massacred by soldiers to protect the site. To ensure the
complete secrecy of this site, these same soldiers were later killed as well.

What we know of Genghis Khan’s death is not much more than the location of his final resting
place. The circumstances surrounding his death have ranged from injuries suffered from
falling off a horse, to pneumonia and injuries suffered during intercourse with a Tangut
princess who placed pliers in her vagina when she was taken as war booty.

Genghis Khan asked to be buried following Mongol customs, that is, without markings.
Monguls during that era would either leave the body in the open field to be devoured by
animals, or tied to the back of a horse and sent into the vast plains of Mongolia. But the talk
of a secret tomb has persisted and the possibilities of what spoils may be enclosed in the
tomb have led many treasure hunters and historians to seek it out. Now that the Soviet Union
has fallen and China is slowly opening its door to the western world, Mongolia is much more
accessible to researchers than ever before.

There are a few places that seem the likely locations of this secret tomb. One is Kherem
(Wall Site), which is 200 miles from the capital and near his birth place. The other is near the
Onon and Kerulen rivers and the Burkhan Khaldun mountain, which was one of his favorite
places to be. Unfortunately, many places in Mongolia carry the title of Burkhan and finding
the original one in question has proved most difficult.

Finding this secret tomb of Genghis Khan will not only shed light on one of the most powerful
leaders known to history, but may also lead to the discovery of various other important
tombs. Emperors of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), which include Kublai Khan, requested to
be buried at this same secret location.

References: Genghis Khan, Lost Histories, Biography of Genghis Khan

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1/11/2015

Secret tunnel in Dracula' s castle to open to tourism - ARCHAEOLOGY

ARCHAEOLOGY - Secret tunnel in Dracula’s castle to

open to tourism hurriyetdailynews.com

Sunday, January 1 1 2015, Your time is 12:57:22 AM

A secret tunnel that has been
discovered during restoration work
under Tokat Castle, Turkey’s
second-largest castle in the northern
province of Tokat, will be opened to
tourism. The tunnel, known as
Ceylanyolu, is claimed to have been
used by a Roman king’s daughters
in order to go to the Pervane bath in
the Qanakgi stream area.

Restoration work in the castle was
started in 2009 by Tokat Governor’s
Office Provincial Culture and
Tourism Directorate in order to open
the castle to tourism and completed in 2010. Last September, work began again to reinforce
the bastions in the castle, which were used for defense in the Seljuk and Ottoman eras.

Over the course of the restoration carried out by three archaeologists, cubes, a military
shelter, two dungeons and a secret tunnel to the Pervane Bath in the city center were
discovered. It has been claimed that Wallachian Prince Vlad III “The Impaler,” who was also
known as Dracula and lived between 1431 and 1476, was held captive in one of the these
dungeons during the early 15th century.

However, most historians say he was kept in captivity in Romania. The exact length of his
captivity is open to debate, though indications are that it was from 1462 to 1474.

Three hundred and fifty meters long

Work has recently begun to open the castle’s secret tunnel to tourism. A railway system has
been set up for the removal of stones and earth in the entrance of the tunnel. The Provincial
Culture and Tourism Director Abdurrahman Akyuz, highlighting the importance of the castle,
said, “The castle served as a prison in the Ottoman era, and many famous figures was kept
there.”

He said Dracula had also been kept captive in the castle, adding, “The castle has great
potential for tourism. Such a steep castle is very rare in any city center in Turkey.”

Akyuz said they did not know the exact length of the tunnel, and continued: “We have set up
a railway system, since it is impossible to remove earth and stones here manually. We
estimate that the tunnel is about 300-350 meters long and goes to the Pervane Bath. The first

The castle in Tokat, which has become famous as the place of Count
Dracula’s captivity, is now going through a cleaning process for the
opening of its secret tunnel to tourism. DMA Photo

http;//w ww. hurriyetdailynews. com/s ecret-tunnel-in- dr aculas-castle-to-open-to-tourism-.aspx?pagelD=238&nlD-7B071&NewsCatlD-375

1/2

1/1 1/2015

Secret tunnel in Dracula's castle to open to tourism - ARCHAEOLOGY

mission here is to clean the tunnel way through the city center.”
December/26/2014

http://w ww .hur ri y etdai I ynew s. com/s ecr et-tunnel -i n-dr acul as -castl e-to-open-to-tour i sm -.aspx?pagel D= 238&nlD = 7607 1 &N ew sC atID = 375

2/2

SEE IT: Woman has exorcism by priests pinning her
to floor

nina golgowski nydailynews.com

BY Nina Golgowski

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Wednesday, March 25, 2015, 1:07 AM

For several minutes a 22-year-old woman had been violently wriggling, spitting,
biting and profusely sweating beneath the grasp of several priests wielding a
wooden cross as their weapon of defense.

"She was a good girl but turned bad when the devil possessed her," said an
Argentinian man who went to pray for the woman outside, the Mirror reported. "She
had to be exorcised, she had to be free."

The chaotic exorcism was captured on video inside of the Lutheran Charismatic
Church in Buenos Aires.

As part of an
exorcism, a 22-
year-old woman
can be seen
violently
wriggling,
spitting, biting
and profusely
sweating beneath
the grasp of
several priests
wielding a
wooden cross as

their weapon of defense.

In it the woman, only identified as Laura, is seen physically held down as priests go
to work desperately trying to drive out what they believe to be evil spirits.

But it didn’t come without a fight.

The disturbing exorcism was captured on video inside of the Lutheran
Charismatic Church in Buenos Aires.

The young woman
screams from the
back of her throat
at her robed
captors, calling one
woman a "whore"
and repeatedly
trying to bite her
outstretched hand.

"We are talking
about something
terrifying, a fallen

angel," said Bishop Manuel Acuna, 52, according to the Mirror.

CEN

The woman, only
identified as
Laura, is seen
physically held
down as priests
go to work
desperately trying
to drive what they
believed to be evil
spirits out of her.

The young woman
screams from the
back of her throat
at her robed
captors, calling
one woman a
’whore' and
repeatedly trying
to bite her
outstretched hand.

In evidenced
exhaustion, the
young woman

finally collapses to the floor and astonishingly later appears to carry on a
breathless conversation with the bishop while lying on the ground.

CEN

The exorcism
didn't come
without a fight.

After helping her
sit up, crosses are
drawn on her
back, possibly for
good measure.

CEN

The woman, only
identified as
Laura, is seen
physically held
down as priests
go to work
desperately trying
to drive what they
believed to be evil
spirits out of her.

"The devil is not a
metaphor," he said.
"The devil is
something real that
Jesus Christ
faced."

In evidenced
exhaustion, the
young woman
finally collapses to
the floor and
astonishingly later
appears to carry on
a breathless

CEN

conversation with the bishop while lying on the ground.

After helping her sit up he draws crosses on her back, possibly for good measure.

18 Comments
(edited)IO days ago
MICKEY MOUSE

In the US that woman is called a mental patient....

(edited)IO days ago
nine-inch-nut

Breaking News, the countenance of Blessed Virgin Mary(BVM) was reported on a
Whopper in a Buenos Aires Burger King.

BK is showing its support for Family Values & Superstition in SA by
introducing the BVM on Rye in limited locations.

(edited)IO days ago
Guitarl

Precisely. This is a scam. I lived the near that house in Amityville as a kid and I can
tell you that no neighbors (whom I knew) ever heard a single commotion when all
this supposed evil was taking place there. No cops, no noise, no nothing. Lutz as
broke and was scamming for money. As PT Barnum said, "There's a sucker born
every minute".

(edited)IO days ago
Jonathan Smedley

Coming attraction for paranormal activity 97.

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Self-Centered: ‘Geocentrist’ Movie To Get Limited Theatrical Release

Jan 6, 201 5 by Rob Boston in Wall of Separation au.org

The "geocentrists" -- who believe that Galileo was wrong and that the Earth really is the
center of the universe -- are back. And they've got a movie.

Last April, I wrote about a bunch of cranks who believe that the Earth is the center of the
universe. These so-called “geocentrists” are extreme Roman Catholics who believe that
Copernicus and Galileo were wrong to promote the heliocentric model of the universe.

The geocentrists’ main argument seems to be that everything has to revolve around this
planet because we’re special. God wouldn’t put us, the pinnacle of his creation, in some
forgotten corner of the universe!

Somehow these zealots scraped up a pot of money and produced a fancy, CGI-laden
“documentary” called “The Principle," which in the spring of 2014 they claimed would appear
in theaters soon.

The film didn’t appear, but the matter attracted some attention because “The Principle" is
narrated by Kate Mulgrew, an actress who played Capt. Kathryn Janeway on “Star Trek:
Voyager" and later appeared as Galina Reznikov on the popular Netflix series “Orange is the
New Black.” The film also features interviews with actual scientists like Lawrence Krauss,
Michio Kaku and others.

Mulgrew felt compelled to issue a statement affirming her belief in the heliocentric universe,
and Krauss and some of the other scientists said they had no idea the documentary was
about geocentrism when they were asked to take part.

I figured that was the end of it, but late last night I received a press release via email with big
news: “The Principle” will play in “selected theaters” Jan. 23!

“The Principle,” asserts the press release, “will begin an exclusive limited engagement at
AMC theaters in Burbank, CA, Orange, CA, and Spokane, WA, on January 23rd, with
additional markets opening in the weeks following.” There will also be a screening for critics in
Los Angeles Jan. 13.

The release goes on to say, “The Principle’ brings to light astonishing new scientific
observations challenging the Copernican Principle. The film explores, from all sides, the
question of Earth’s station in the universe and whether it could, in fact, have a unique
importance. Astonishing results from recent large-scale surveys of our visible Universe
disclose surprising evidence of a preferred direction in the cosmos, a so-called Axis of Evil,’
aligned with our supposedly insignificant Earth.”

An Axis of Evil in space? Yikes! I hope it’s not the Klingons.

Just to be clear: The people behind “The Principle" are serious. This is not a parody, a “Spinal
Tap”-style “mockumentary” or some sort of hoax by Alan Abel. These people seriously

believe, in the year 2015, that the Earth is the center of the universe.

The force behind all of this is a man named Robert Sungenis. He’s quite a piece of work. The
author of a book titled Galileo Was Wrong: The Church Was Right, Sungenis is angry
because the heliocentric model has cast doubt on the authority of the church and its leaders.
He has written, “Prior to Galileo, the church was in full command of the world, and
governments and academia were subservient to her." (According to the Southern Poverty
Law Center, Sungenis is also an anti-Semite who denies the Holocaust.)

I know it’s easy to make fun of stuff like this. I mean, these people are literally living in the
Dark Ages. But we should never underestimate the power of pseudo-scientific loons who
elevate religious fundamentalism over modern science. They have caused a lot of problems
in the past.

Who would have thought creationism would have the staying power it has had? Who would
have expected that the state of Kentucky would spend years deliberating giving $18 million in
tax breaks to a biblical fundamentalist who wants to build a theme park based on the story of
Noah’s Ark? Who would have expected that entire biology books would be published that
never mention the word “evolution”?

The way things are going, with so many state legislatures in the grip of Tea Party forces and
their pals in the Religious Right, I wouldn’t be surprised if some state lawmaker somewhere
didn’t push for a “balanced treatment" law mandating equal time for the Earth-centered
universe theory. Or perhaps “The Principle” could be shown in Louisiana’s public schools
under that state’s “Science Act,” which allows “supplemental materials” in classrooms to
promote “critical thinking."

In short, never underestimate the power of slickly packaged propaganda. All it takes is a band
of extremists with some money and a camera, and one teacher who has been brainwashed.
And before you know it your kid’s science education has been set back about 400 years.

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Send in the clowns (they’ll bring the beer)

Scott Wartman , swartman@nky.com

ludlow- cincinnati.com

Circus Mojo has brought in acts from all around the world. Now it's adding 'brewery' to
its roster of talents.

Buy Photo

Paul Miller, the creator of Circus Mojo and
Motivational Clown, is surrounded by some of
his performers at their center in Ludlow, Ky.,
last month. Miller is establishing Bircus Beer
to help fund his circus outreach.

Story Highlights

• Circus Mojo lights up faces at Childrens
Hospital, but troupe funding is difficult.

• Brewery proceeds could help owner
expand after-school programs teaching circus
skills.

• Worldly acrobats find a circus home in

Ludlow.

In Ludlow, when you send in the clowns, they'll bring the beer.

Professional clown Paul Miller hopes the growing craft brewery industry will allow him to
expand his circus business, Circus Mojo in Ludlow.

He plans to open Bircus Brewing Co. in 2015 in the old Ludlow Theater .

Miller bought the 68-year-old theater building in 2009 and transformed it into Circus Mojo,
where he trains people in the circus arts and hosts shows with performers from around the
world.

Soon, fermenting ale will join the trapeze, high wire and other acrobatic props in the theater.

"Our goal is really to be on the brewery tour, and really have people be wowed by the
destination of having some circus acts going on and pretty girls hanging from the ceiling,"
Miller said. "People will stay, and they'll come back."

A broad smile repeatedly spread across Miller's face as he talked about how brewing his own
beer will help his circus in Ludlow.

His enthusiasm for his work has grown in the two decades as a circus performer - including
several as a Ringling Brothers clown.

Asked to show some of his skills, Miller, festooned in a blue sport coat, jeans and blue suede

shoes, didn't hesitate: He continued talking nonchalantly as he tread on a large ball around
the theater while proudly holding a sample Bircus beer can.

Buy Photo

Paul Miller got the idea for Bircus beer
from a friend in Belgium who funds his
circus the same way.

'We choose to be funny'

Circus Mojo has brought in acts from
around the world to perform in hospitals,
military bases, symphonies and many
other places.

Miller founded Circus Mojo in 2009 after
traveling the world as a clown and working
as an actor, including a role in the soap opera "One Life to Live."

Cognizant of the fear some have with clowns, Circus Mojo clowns do not wear makeup.

"You can be funny or funny looking," Miller said. "We choose to be funny."

Miller has sold beer at the Ludlow Theater for shows for the past two years, but beer
distributors get most of the money, he said. So Miller said he thought, 'Why not brew our own
beer?'

Beer revenue could provide gap financing for additional clown shows and outreach when
revenues, grants and loans fall short, he said.

Miller took the idea from Bircus beer in Belgium. Rather than use the government subsidies
Belgium provides to the arts, a friend of his brews his own beer to pay for his circus, Miller
said. His friend lent him the name Bircus, but Miller will hire his own brewmaster and develop
his own recipes.

"It is a proven way to fund things and to have fun," Miller said.

Miller hopes to start brewing by the All-Star Game in July. He said he hopes to soon expand
to bars across Kentucky and Ohio. He envisions rewarding bars that sell the most bottles of
his beer with a free circus performance.

Buy Photo

A craft beer operation will join Circus Mojo
in the Ludlow Theater, Ludlow, Ky., in
2015. The business could help fund circus
outreach work, its owner Paul Miller
hopes.

Beer money could grow children's
programs

Some of the proceeds of the brewery will
help Miller redevelop a church nearby for
his after-school programs teaching local

He also wants to put more of his circus performers into area hospitals, youth detention
centers and other places for needy children. He said 10 percent of the beer profits will be
dedicated to after-school programs or other educational programs for youth.

"That's a big part of why we're doing this, because want to have the resources to do what we
want to do," Miller said.

Some who've benefited from the talents of Miller and his band of performers praised his
impact.

Circus Mojo performs four days a week at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, teaching children to
spin plates, balance feathers and other feats. The United States military has contracted with
the circus to perform regularly for children at a military base near Washington, D.C.

Children's Hospital is sold on the use of clowns as therapy and hopes to see Circus Mojo
expand. After a visit from Circus Mojo, many of the children show off to their doctors how to
spin plates, said Sharon McLeod, the hospital's director of child life and integrative care.

"When the child learns a skill that the physician or their nurse might not have, it does give the
child a sense of control in their environment, and gives them a skill they can also teach their
health care provider," McLeod said.

Elliott Campbell of Villa Hills credits his desire to be a doctor to Circus Mojo and performing at
Children's Hospital. The 23-year-old University of Kentucky medical student has performed
with Circus Mojo on and off since 2010.

"I met Paul when I was a senior in high school and he was balancing a 150-pound table on
his chin, and I was like, all right, I've got to get a piece of this pie," Campbell recalled. "I was
teaching classes and simultaneously learning how to juggle."

(Photo: The Enquirer/Meg Vogel)

children circus skills.

(Photo: The Enquirer/Meg Vogel)

Already, the flags of dozens of nations representing the
nationalities of Circus Mojo performers adorn the Ludlow Theater
ceiling. Circus Mojo has hosted foreign students and sent local
students to other countries as part of student-exchange programs. Miller said he hopes to do
more of that if the brewery is successful.

Buy Photo

Paul Miller, the creator of Circus Mojo and Motivational Clown,
poses for a portrait at Circus Mojo’s center in Ludlow, Ky., in front
of his new Bircus Beer emblem.

Attracting a global crowd to Ludlow Theater

In addition to his community outreach, Miller hopes the addition of
a brewery will make Circus Mojo an even bigger destination.

High-wire walker and acrobat Johanna Prusiecki from Hanover, Germany, arrived last month
to work at Circus Mojo and plans on staying in America for a year.

She said she's enjoyed working in local schools since she arrived but is still getting used to
American cuisine.

"We had a great show," Prusieki said. "It is a lot of fun, but it's a little culture difference. You
get use to it."

Miller expects Bircus Beer to be at most Circus Mojo events, including its summer shows at
Devou Park in Covington.

"I throw parties for a living and been producing events for 20 years," Miller said. "When we do
the circus in Devou Park, it'll be brought to you by Bircus beer."

• Jan. 4, 2015, 2:17 a.m.

\New York Times, "Settlement Reached in Suit Over Radioactive
Oatmeal Experiment," New

http://www.albany.edu/~scifraud/data/sci fraud 4050.html

\New York Times, "Settlement Reached in Suit Over Radioactive Oatmeal Experiment," New
York Times, 1 January 1 998, p. A1 9. \

Boston, Dec. 31 (AP) A group of former students who ate radioactive oatmeal as unwitting
participants in a food experiment will share a $1 .85 million settlement from Quaker Oats and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

More than 100 boys at the Fernald School in Waltham, Mass., were fed cereal containing
radioactive iron and calcium in the 1940s and 1950s. The diet was part of an experiment to prove
that the nutrients in Quaker oatmeal travel throughout the body.

Quaker and M.l.T. agreed last week to pay to settle the class-action lawsuit, which covers about
30 people. A hearing is scheduled for April 6 to make the settlement final.

Quaker Oats officials wanted to match the advertising claims of their competitor, Cream of
Wheat, which is based in farina, said Alexander Bok, one lawyer for the plaintiffs.

The boys, many of whom were wards of the state and inaccurately classified as mentally retarded,
joined the Fernald Science Club in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

A $60 million lawsuit was filed in Federal District Court here two years ago asserting that the
children were tricked into joining the science club to participate in the experiments. The suit also
asserts that some boys were exposed to more radiation than allowed under Federal limits.

M.l.T. said on Tuesday that the exposure to radiation was about equal to the natural background
radiation people were exposed to from the environment every year. The university also noted that
a state panel in 1994 determined that the students had suffered no significant health effects from
the experiment.

The panel did say, however, that the students’ civil rights had been violated.

Quaker Oates continues to deny that it played a large role in the experiments. The company
donated the cereal and gave a "small research grant" to the university, said a Quaker spokesman,
Mark Collins.

\Pear, Robert. "Medical Research to Get More Money from Government," New York Times, 3
January 1 998, pp. 1 , A8.\

Shadowlands Haunted Places Index -California2

theshadowlands.net

In California Page 2 - (M - San L)
Last Updated: January 2010
Page 1 (A - L)

Page 3 (San M - Y)

Warning

Any places listed in the Haunted Places requires permission to visit or investigate.
Many of the places are patrolled by the authorities, trespassers will be prosecuted.

Magalia - Magalia Depot -

This location used to be a train depot, but has been a restaurant since 1977. In the past
owners have seen apparitions and heard voices through vents and banging on the
walls. A former employee reports things fell off of shelves without explanation, their hair
was pulled and their shoulder grabbed by an unseen force, they saw a floating head
atop a freezer in the lower level bakery, one of the other coworkers entered the
restroom and the faucet turned on by itself and the toilet flushed, while searching for
the light switch on her first day working, the lights mysteriously turned on by
themselves, while setting tables all the dinnerforks had been turned on theirsides, one
night a woman working stepped inside the cooler and when she walked back out all the
chairs had been pulled out from under the tables. According to past stories from
previous owners there are three ghosts. A small child, a woman in a housecoat a
conductor. The woman is the only one to ever have been seen and seems to be the one
most often heard/sensed by anyone.

Malibu - Moonshadows Restaurant -

In the women's restroom, the water faucets have been known to turn on by themselves.
Malibu Lake (Agoura Hills) - Malibu Lake Island •

The Lady of the Lake - Believed to be haunted by Margaret Hersh Robertson. Margaret
(1907-1993). Every morning, as was known by many lake residents, Margaret would
swim out to the island. She did this early every morning. She has been sighted
numerous times, after her passing, swimming seemingly along side a startled couple in
a canoe. Her figure was just below the surface of the water in a bathing cap.

Manteca - Cinema 10 -

The last theater in the hall way on the left of the cinema is haunted by 2 ghosts, a young

than the rest of the upstairs, the docents have opened the Inn in the morning to find the
upstairs runner rugs rolled up, the books in the upstairs library stacked on the floor, the
sound of someone walking upstairs can be heard downstairs when no one is on the
upper level. Several docents refuse to work upstairs; they feel like they are being stared
at. A man has been seen several times looking out of an upstairs windows. There have
been several reports of conversations with an older, oddly dressed man who vanishes
when turned away from.

Newberry Springs - Mojave dry river bottom from Minneola Rd to Harvard Rd -

The spirit of the "hatchet lady" is said to roam the river bottom at night with hatchet in
hand. It is said she is the cause for many people's disappearances when they walked
nearthe river bottom at night

Newark - Newpark Mall -

In the TILT arcade doors won't unlock and appear to be stuck. At night when workers
used to turn off all the games in the brake rooms (there are two of them) some of them
would switch back on when turned off no one else was there to do so. One of the
workers spent the night there after working late one night and heard a little girl
screaming in his ear. Always having the feeling of being watched when alone. Some of
people that have been there say they have seen a little girl in the emergency exit door
way and just disappears through it.

Newark - Newpark Mall - Anchor Blue -

There is a ghost in the stockroom; it used to harass one of the female employees. It
would push things over when she was in there alone. When in the office, we would hear
loud crashes in the stock room, but when we would look on the camera, no one would
be there. When in the stock room, you can hearthe fitting room doors slamming shut
when the area is empty. In the mornings, we would come in to hear the sensors
beeping in the jean wall; we would dig through the piles, find the pair of jeans, and then
turn the sensor off. Later on, the beeping would start up again, but in a completely
different place on the wall.

Newport Beach - Balboa Island -

In 1993, two kids went swimming & were killed by a rip tide. At night, strange sounds
are heard and flashes of light are seen under the water.

Newport Beach - Coronado Apartments -

An apartment on the first floor of the M building is haunted by the spirit of a woman.
Muffled voices are heard, phantom music emanating from the kitchen, lights turned on
and off, cabinet doors opened, and she has appeared as a full apparition. Apparently
there was a death in the apartment that could contribute to this, but the woman's
apparel seems to be from a time predating the apartment complex's construction.

Newport Beach - Newport Harbor High School - Robins Hall -

In Robins hall the voice of two boys is sometimes heard if someone is there at night
calling "where is he? is he here?" ten years ago three boys snuck into robins hall at
night while they were drunk, three of the boys went on the stage and two of them fell off
and were killed by landing on their heads. The third boy left without telling anyone and
the police found the other two boys a week later. One can experience cold winds when
the windows are shut and voice heard.

Newport Beach - Wild Goose -

John Wayne's boat docked in Newport Harbor is said to be haunted by the Duke
himself. Several maintenance workers, passers by, and Mrs. Wayne have seen the spirit
if the actor walking the decks of his beloved yacht, or waving from the top deck.

Niles - Niles Canyon Road- A "White Witch" or "Niles Canyon Ghost" - A young woman
who's last name was Lowerey was on her way to a wedding possibly her own. Riding
in a horse drawn carriage near the way stop of Scott's Corners, (between Pleasanton
and Sunol, CA. Area is now Highway 84/680) she was thrown from the carriage when
the horses were spooked by the first of two oncoming horseless carriages (car). After
she was thrown the 2nd car struck her. Miss Lowerey became the first person to ever
be killed by an automobile in this area. Many have seen a woman in white by the
cemetery and near by areas, accompanied with strange lights. -

November update: A paranormal researcher found there's quite an extensive collection
of newspaper clippings that was donated to the library by a journalist. The clippings go
back to the turn of the 20th century, so they cover the period when the "accident"
happened. According to the first journalist to report on the supposed haunting, about
ten years after the date in the 1920's when the woman was popularly held to have died,
there was no mention of anyone dying in an accident in the canyon, and county
records of the time listed no account of the body of anyone who had supposedly died
in Niles Canyon. There was, in the early 50's, a young man who dressed in a white
sheet and jumped out in front of motorists near one of the bridges on Halloween. He
scared someone so bad that they immediately drove to the nearest phone and called
the police, who arrived in force (owing to the legend of the white witch) and drew guns
on what they thought was the ghost. The young man was almost shot, though he was
not arrested, but he had to be taken to a coffee shop where it took him until 2am to calm
down sufficiently to go home. The supposed "white witch of Niles" actually follows the
scenario of a common fake ghost story, that being the "hitchhiking ghost" story. The
Niles ghost is most commonly said to hitchhike to one of the bridges in the area, where
she disappears at the tollbooth. There is no cemetery that they know of in Sunol, which
is at the top of Niles Canyon Rd. Similarly; there is no Morrison Canyon ghost. Morrison
Canyon road is a primarily one-lane road that leads up to the 680 freeway. There's even
a radar-testing facility up there somewhere, complete with life-size wire models of
helicopters and planes, mostly upside down. Now, on the OTHER side of the coin, there
ARE photographs of orbs in Mission San Jose's church and in the graveyard, though

the investigator does not own them. The church, the cemetery and the grounds are
VERY active.

Narth fork -

the old church -

built in the mid 1800. The town was once the stop for the Yosemite stagecoach. The
church sets on a hill overlooking the town. At night you can see a light in the bell tower
and the bell rings. This has been happening for so long the residents consider it
normal. The only problem is the bell hasn't been in the church for 100 years and it has
never had electricity. H still continues to this day.

North Hills - James Monroe High School -

Witnesses have heard loud footsteps and opening and closing of doors when the halls
are lonely. The girls gym room is haunted students have heard lockers open and close
when no one is present.

Norwalk - Chavez Elementary School -

Inside the main school, it is known that a former Principal and possibly a child haunts
this school. From balloons passing down the halls, door knobs attempting to turn by
themselves, slamming doors, and a cry or screams of a child somewhere inside the
hallways of the building. The alarms go off in the building for unknown reasons late at
night.

Norwalk - Metropolitan State Hospital -

There have been sightings of ghosts in one of the occupied buildings. A woman was
seen walking threw a wall and anothertime was spotted standing by the shower room.
Dark figures have been seen in office areas and noise comes from the kitchen when no
one is in there. A mist was seen floating knee high down the hall then disappearing into
thin air. This activity has happened between 2003-2004. There has been talk of things
prior to this but nothing spcific.

Norwalk - Norwalk high school -

A boy in the 1980's at the age of 15 was working out by him self in the weight room
when a bar fell on his on his head while bench pressing , crushing his head and bled to
death he lied there on the floor till the janitor found him dead. It is know that you could
here him still working out at night.

Oakland - Holmes Book Company -

haunted by male ghost that throws books around.

Oakland - Mills College - Ethal Moore Hall - The ghost of a young woman waiting at the

steps of Orchard-Meadow hall. There is a ghost carriage haunting the road behind this
residence hall as well as Mary Morse Hall. For more info go to
http://www.artsfusion.com/millsghosts/main.html for a longer explanation.

Oakland - Mills College - Lisser Hall - Lisser Hall is the campus theater, and said to be
haunted by someone walking from one end of the stage to another. For more info go to
http://www.artsfusion.com/millsghosts/main.html for a longer explanation.

Oakland - Mills College - Mary Morse Hall - the ghost of a man in one of the rooms has
been reported. There is a ghost carriage haunting the road behind this residence hall as
well as Ethal Moore Hall. For more info go to

http://www.artsfusion.com/millsghosts/main.html for a longer explanation.

Oakland - The Pardee Home -

located in California's Preservation Park Historic District. This house was home to
California's Governor (George Pardee 1903-1 907). Pictures showing orb's have been
taken, but no naked eye sightings. The rest of the park is also haunted with orb's
having been photographed. Pictures coming soon in the gallery courtesy of Tim
Dennehy ("Specter" Ghost Hunting Society)

Oakland - Oakland S.P.C.A. -

Many employees have seen an older woman in the pet crematory gardening. There is
only one gardener employed at the O.S.P.C.A. and it is a man. However, the Real
gardener states that he never has to do any gardening behind the gates of the
crematory because it is always weed free. Many employees have asked who the lady is
weeding in the crematory, when their supervisors are approached with this question
they simply state. Its is a ghost. We don't know why or how she came to garden at the
crematory but are grateful that she does a wonderful upkeep of her area.

Oakland Hill-Jouquin Miller -

There said to be a ghost that haunts the park at night. One foggy night, in the Oakland
hills, a woman crossed the street and got hit by a truck. She died and her spirit did not
rest. This very day, she haunts the park. Rumor is that the park made the spirit a hut
and a model house. When it gets dark, people had reports that they had seen a ghost.

Oceanside - El Camino High School -

Sometimes the image of a student who hung himself on a tree by the 400 building in
1990 is seen.

Oceanside - Hunter Steakhouse -

The Hunter Steakhouse in Oceanside, California sits on a hill above the Buena Vista
Lagoon. The land it sits on was originally the site of the Buena Vista Cemetery, and it
seems that not all the spirits followed when the graves were moved. Patrons and

employees have constantly reported incidents. The stairwell to the bar area appears to
be the home of a female spirit. There is a storage room above the lower dining area and
entrance. The room is constantly locked and hardly used. But for some reason the
spirits prefer this location when the restaurant gets busy. There are three windows up
there, and although they can't be opened, people feel drawn to gaze at these windows.
Also from the second floor an apparition has been reported moving across the room
from the fireplace in mid-air. Several people have heard there names called by both
male and female voices. Like many other locations of hauntings, objects moving and
power surges have been reported as well. The submitter of this haunted places reports
seeing a face of a male form out of the chimney, ever so briefly, but it felt welcoming, a
former police officer has written about this. He patrolled this area in the 1980's, while
working for the Oceanside Police Department. But the food is Great too.

Ojai - Creek Road -

There's 4 ghosts here that roam this road. One is a guy they call "Chairman" because
he is burnt to a crisp. They say he stalks the road seeking revenge on who ever killed
him. The 2nd ghost is a woman who rides her horse down the road recklessly till she
comes to the curve where the horse rears up & she falls, breaks her neck & dies
instantly. This is on the anniversary of her death & the scene replays till daybreak. The
3rd is a woman hitch hiking down the road in her blood soaked wedding dress. No one
knows who she is or why she was killed on her wedding day or why she hitch hikes
this road. The final ghost is of a motorcyclist who rides down the windy road at break
neck speeds & navigates wonderfully considering he's headless.

Ojai - Ojai Valley Inn -

Anyone that stays in room number 5 will hear banging in the closet, and a bad smell.
Ontario - Antique Underground -

This is a fairly new antique store on Euclid Ave. in Downtown Ontario. If you look real
closely in one of the old mirrors you can see the ghost of a young girl, maybe six or
seven years old. She is smiling at you and giggling. Also, in the underground portion of
the store you can hear glass shattering and a woman's frustrated screams but when
you go look to see what's going on, nobody's there and no glass has been shattered.

Ontario - Bon View Park - Center -

A little girl about 7 or 8 years old was raped and killed there. Sightings of her occur after
10:00 p.m. Where she hides behind trees, people say its because she wants to play
Hide-and-seek with you.

Ontario - Chaffey High School -

When in the auditorium the lights go on an off by themselves and if you are going under
the auditorium in the old bomb shelters where props are kept a green light is following

you. It is said that it is a student who one night was in the auditorium on the stage and
fell into the pit. Also up in the light room a girl haunts after committing suicide in the
auditorium off the balcony.

Ontario - Field between airport and freeway -

There is a tree that grew up in a big open field where the bodies of an airline crash were
laid. The tree grew twisted and has a depth to it. As you approach the tree you will hear
the ruffling of thousands of crows on branches but you cannot see them.

Ontario - Hotel Beverly -

hearing foot steps on the 2nd floor when no one there, seeing shadows in the
southwest 2nd floorcornerwindow. glancing up at the 3rd floor south corner window,
and certain areas of the basement cold spots, lights flickering, fire alarms being set off
all happening all times of the day. all witness by neighbors, staff at the old hotel and
passer.

Ontario - Kmart on 4th st. -

In the ladies room back in the iay-away dept, if you are in the restroom alone, once you
are in the stall the other stall door will slam shut with no one else in the restroom.

Ontario - Vince's Spaghetti -

When you are alone at night you will hearfootsteps like someone else is in the
restaurant. Sometimes when your on the other side of the ice machine ice will fling over
at you and no one is there. A ghost waitress was seen walking into the back of the new
room. Also there have been reports of hearing hertalking to customers when no one
was there. If you go into the restroom alone and sit in the middle stall the other doors
on the stalls will open and close very rapidly. Also, if you are sitting in there someone
will flush the toilets and turn on the water. Like someone is washing their hands. Then
you hearthe door open when no one was there. In the banquet room if you are cleaning
tables alone you can hearthumping and scratching coming from the roof. People have
also been pushed in the kitchen by the lockers.

Orange - Seal Beach - Boeing Co. site adjacent to Naval Weapons Station-

apparitions doors opening and closing, behind security personnel as they make their
patrols, strange breezes that blow inside of bldgs, a feeling of being watched by
unseen forces, strange footsteps that just fade away upon approach, disembodied
voices, guard vehicle, lights turn off, as well as prior running engines, when guard is
out of the vehicle, strange balloons that appear in the parking lots at night, which take
on a life of their own, then mysteriously vanish, this was the prior Rockwell site, also
built over burial grounds of the ancient Indians, many similar haunting phenomena
being so close to the Naval Weapons Station. Even Seal Beach Police Dept is aware of
the ghosts.

Orange - Seal Beach - U.S. Naval Weapons Station -

Built over ancient Indian burial grounds, also built over Orange County historical site,
known as Anaheim Landing. Anaheim landing was an early seaport circa 1849. At the
turn of the century, it was the main beach for people to use, it had a boardwalk area for
shopping, food and refreshments, the Bolsa Chica wetlands and marsh areas merge
into its boundaries. PHENOMENA; Strange shadows that move about at night, Ghosts
of Indians have been seen, footsteps follow security personnel around at night,
whispering voices have been heard, throughout the complex, lights go on and off in
buildings, spirits knock on the vehicle doors of security officers at night, nature spirits,
have been perceived, as well as a spirit called a water diva ,have been seen. Various
different ghosts have been seen throughout the weapons station, blood chilling
screams, and spine tingl ing moans have frightened many nighttime security
personnel. The location vibrates with history, and some hauntings are residual, other
ghosts interact with the living. It is an area , which should be investigated by
parapsychologists, many people have died in car accidents on Pacific Coast Highway,
which runs thru the beach area, orsouth end of the Naval Station.

Orange County - Black Star Canyon - The site of multiple Indian massacres dating back
to the time of Spanish occupation, Blackstar Canyon is home to many strange
phenomena. Indians said to have been spotted both roaming the ridges on horseback
and walking the creek for a few steps before disappearing completely. Many night
hikers report the feeling of being watched, and the sounds of an invisible presence
pacing them shortly off the trail. Screams and howls haunt the night along with the faint
chants of an age and people long past.

Note: If you are planning an expedition to Blackstar Canyon, travel in groups as it is a
very dangerous place, and pay no mind to the homemade "Private Property" signs. The
Orange County Sheriffs Office has confirmed that all of the trail is in fact open to the
public, and those signs were hung some time ago by squatters attempting to keep
people off the Ian d.

Orange County - Fountain Valley - James H. Cox elementary school -

past 9:00 ANY night you can go to the school and you will hear dogs barking such as
German Shepards and pit bulls, you will also find that dead cats suddenly appear out of
no where and figments of hanging cats on walls, you will also see figures in the shape
of a person in the windows and close to the school you will hear interference on all
forms of communication such as cell phones, radio's and also all though out the school
you will feel as though you are being watched or followed. Sometimes noises and lights
are noticeable.

Orange County - Holy Sepulcher Cemetery -

There is said to be a woman in white roaming the cemetery. She usually rests in one
place. People have witnessed a candle burning at all hours of the night, even when the
wind picks up. The candle flame appears to change color and shape, not actually

flickering, but changing shapes. It will go from being a complete circle, to a half circle
with a defined edge to being tear shaped. This light is in the same place every time.

Orange County - LaVeta Train tracks -

There is a ghost of a male in his late teens early 20's who died a tragic death in the late
1940's next to these tracks. This spirit seems to be very hostile. Reported by people
walking by the tracks that have no knowledge of the "legend" and hear distinct
whispering (one such incident, the entity whispered "I see you") as well as feeling
strange rushes of air, as if someone is running past them. Cold spots , the feeling of not
being welcomed are also felt. Those that have seen this entity describe it as a male,
between the ages of 18-22, that is dressed in garments from the late 40's/early 50's. The
spirit seems very territorial, and resides in a small area between/in a small gap in
between 2 buildings and a moveable dumpster about 20" to the right of the gap. "He"
(by those that have seen him) generally appears to be a full-body apparition and stays
stationary until "his space" is disturbed. He tends to show is dislike by slamming the lid
of the dumpster. 1 witness reports, "It was completely pen (folded along the back of
the dumpster). As we all turned our backs to the dumpster, the lid slammed closed with
incredible force. There was absolutely no wind and no one in the area besides us.
Whoever this spirit is, he does not take kindly to strangers."

Orange County - Las Flores -

In Las Flores there has been some witch craft going on and it has been terrible. People
or ghosts have been tearing down street lights, lamp poses, etc. It has to be haunted if
its not than who is doing all this stuff.

Orange County - Olive Hotel -

There are several ghosts and ghost stories. The one that sticks out is the one about
(the ghost in the closet) People have rented this room and opened a closet door only to
find a mans body hanging by the neck. This is a man who committed suicide more than
50 years ago .

Orange County - Orange High School -

Teens at Orange High School claims that a young girl(age 15-18 yrs) from about 20 to
30 years ago committed suicide, in the girls bathroom in the Theatre. Sometimes the
lights in the theatre turns on and off. When you are by yourself in the theatre you can
feel the air get thick and a strong feel of coldness of wind come toward you. The
bathroom door to the girls bathroom, starts closing slow but then the door slams hard.

Orange County -

Reports of a young lady in a long flowing white gown or wedding dress. She was
always seen back in the service area behind a manufacturing area sitting on an
electrical transformer housing. As she was approached she just disappeared.

Oxnard - Los Arbolitos Apartments -

Lamps would be on afterthe residents had turned them off in the morning, reports of a
glass slowly edged its way into the sink and shattered as if someone pushed it. Often
times while there alone the scent of lavender would waft passed our noses for 2
seconds. It is a rumor that the place is built a top a cemetery that was moved down the
street; only the bodies are rumored to still be in the ground.

Oxnard - Old St Johns Hospital-

it is said that you can see spirits of some sort staring down at you form the top
windows, if you are walking on the sidewalk near the hospital you can hear strange
noise.

Oxnard - Performing Arts Center -

In the dressing rooms of the theater the doors will not stay closed (over night) and the
lights will not stay off so they don't bother turning them off anymore. Some have
reported feeling coldness there and talking in the green room.

Oxnard - Rose Ave - Passing Central Avenue -

This road is said to be haunted by a female who was killed in a car accident. Many years
ago a drunk driver hit and killed a female as she was walking down the road, dragged
her body with his car hood and hit a tree, cutting her in half. It is said she asks for rides
and as soon as you past her up she's in your back seat.

Oxnard - Rose Shopping Center - Wal-Mart -

the toy department of Wal-Mart is haunted by the ghost of a 7- 9 year old Mexican
American girl, wearing a blue dress, with two pig tail braids, some say she looks to have
been from the fifties or late sixties. Workers at night have heard and seen balls
bouncing around by themselves, or cold spats. The girl herself has been seen by a
number of people who say sometimes she is seen in a full apparition form (solid) or at
times misty with half body visible. The ghost is playful often giggling, and smiling to
workers who close up at night and come across her. Before Wal-Mart was erected it
was all field and from elders around town the little girl may have been the victim of an
accident since at night it was fairly treacherous to pass because it was pitch black and
a number of people have been killed in accidents or, victims of random homicides, the
whole complex where Wal-Mart is located (the rose shopping center) may in fact be
haunted because of all that has happened over the years.

Oxnard - Santa Clara High School -

Santa H was established in 1901 . there have been many reports of numerous
hauntings. nuns used to live on the premises and there have been a number a reports
of people seeing a hooded figure in the hallways floating, there have also been voices
and chanting coming from the old chapel that is no longer used, the most popular

ghost at Santa Clara is named Joey. Joey was a student at the school in the early 50s,
when he was killed in a car accident on his way to a basketball game, there have been
several reports from teachers and students of hearing a basketball in the gym late at
night and locker doors slamming after the room has been locked up.

Pacifica - Eaview twin theaters - Update: Now Closed down -

When the place is empty you can hear font steps, things get moved around. Workers
report being chased out by something.

Pacoima - Charles Maclay middle school - girls locker room -

Witnesses report cold spots, also feel a presence around you of a little girl that runs
around the locker room when you're alone. Others have reported an Aztec Indian in full
dress at the school.

Palmdale - Behind Joshua Elementary School -

The train tracks behind Joshua Tree Elementary School. A black figure has been seen.
Palmdale - Lake Una - Sierra Highway and Ave S -

Ghost of a fisherman has been reported to lash out, slurring viciously, ordering them to
leave, also tales of black figures climbing into the trees and vanishing.

Palo Alto - JLS middle School -

At night in a garden there is figure of a young girl sitting on a bench. The bench was
dedicated to her when she died. If you sit on the bench around midnight it is said that
you can hear crying and soft whispering in your ear, also feelings of being watched but
there is no one there. The girl was killed on a nearby train track when her bike got stuck
in the tracks. At night in the bike racks you can see a blue cruiser bike that is totally
wrecked and then it disappears.

Palos Verdes - Wayfarer's Chapel - Formerly listed as Glass Chapel -

The site where Marilyn Monroe & Joe DiMaggio where married. The only strange thing
about this place is problems with cell phones. Cell Phones signals are hard to receive
in this area.

Palos Verdes - Light House -

It was something to do with a lady and her baby. Possibly, they used to be the keepers
of the lighthouse. Rumor is she killed her baby then committed suicide. People say that
if you go there at night you can either see her or hear a woman screaming.

Palos Verdes - Rancho Palos Verdes - Wayfarers Chapel -

The Wayfarers' Chapel was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. and overlooks the cliffs

boy and an elderly man. A fire broke out supposedly when the place was a drug store in
the late 1950's, killing at least 3 people, late night workers hear voices and tapping on
the upper level of the theater.

Manteca - El Rey Theatre, Brewery -

The old El Rey theatre in Manteca burned down some decades ago the night "The
Towering Inferno" opened, owners renovated it and turned it into the Kelley Brothers
Brewing Co. it is said that there are still hot spots from the fire, and ghosts of dead
firefighters and movie patrons are said to wanderthe restaurant looking for a way out.

Manteca - Home Depot - An apparition of a girl has been seen twice by employees
working graveyard shift .Some nights after closing, music and laughter has been heard.
When workers go to check it out the music and voices stop.

December Update: The details of the story behind the murder have been removed out
of respect for the family.

Manteca - Psycho home - There was a home that every one called it the Psycho home
because the old lady that lived there was Psycho. She had 13 dogs and 13 cats. If one
cat dies then all the cats die's. Then after she killed them all she made a home for them.
She kept all the body's. If someone came on her grass she would go get a died cat a
scare you. Now if you walk in the home you hear the died dog's, and cat's.

Manteca - Sequoia elementary - Tthere have been may reports of children playing in the
hallways. A night janitors hear the intercom turn on and hear children talking on it but
when they go to room 9 nothing is there. There has also been a report of swings
swinging on there swinging by the gymnasium

Marin - Camp Bothin -

The camp used to be an old tuberculosis Hospital and an Indian residence before it was
made into a girl scout camp. It is said that at night you can hear and see the ghost of a
nurse pushing her cart down the hallways and patients who died there moaning and
groaning. It is also been said that Indian spirits have made appearances.

Marina Del Rey - BuyCheapSoftware.com -

The ghost of a man is seen walking around the 3rd floor, stairs & roof. Rumor has it that
the man was murdered several years ago by a jealous lover.

Menlo Park - Ravenswood -

There is a woman in a trench coat, standing under an old-fashioned street lamp, that
can be seen at night waiting for a ride. But if you look back, she disappears along with
the street lamp.

and ocean. The garden behind the church has had much activity including indistinct
wispy fog shapes at night. A giant white owl that appears and then disappears. Voices
that call people by name. An old Indian man that appears off in the distance weeding or
tending the plants who vanishes when approached. Behind the church, up in the hills,
is rumored to be a small cemetery that might be the source for some hauntings.

Palos Verdes - Rocky Point - (3 miles S. of Redondo Beach.)

Apparitions of dead skin divers, odd traveling lights, voices.

Palos Verdes -Vanderlip Mansion -

the wealthy Vanderlip family lived in a mansion in PV, one day the wife went crazy and
chopped up her family and buried them in the walls of the house. She also killed her
two dogs and then hung herself from a wooden beam in the living room ceiling. The
dogs reportedly haunt the yard and scare away trespassers. The woman and her family
still haunt the house itself. Sightings of glowing dogs have been reported and members
of the murdered family have been seen in the windows of the abandon house.
Sometimes at night you can hear the children crying for help.

Panorama City - Optometry -

when alone in the office you hear people talking in the lobby after closing hours. Some
employees have said when alone they feel someone behind them and when they turn
around, there is no one there, also in exam rooms you hear a little boy laughing and
caresses your hair.

Panorama City - Rose's Beauty Salon -

There is a cold spot in the lobby by the cashier. In the restroom you can here a little boy
crying.

Pomona - Ganesha High -

When it is in the night you could hearthe wind and you suddenly feel like someone is
watching and its a shape of a girl with red eyes.

Parker Dam - Intake Pump Plant, Metropolitan Water District -

Workers there today report hearing whistling and keys jingling when there is no one
else around.

Pasadena - abandoned asylum -

Off of Green St. Located right under suicide bridge, people have reported hearing
voices, seeing orbs, and feelings of anger and feel very unwelcome. Doors have been
reported to move on their own. Woman rumored to have killed herself unable to handle
the voices after being at the asylum.

Pasadena - Angeles Crest - Old Hotel -

On Lake St. where it ends near the mountains of Angeles Crest, there use to be a old
hotel on the mountain, people have numerous things around the old ruins and around
Echo mountain in Angeles Crest, where the hotel use to be.

Pasadena - the bridge of Fair Oaks Exit -

A murder has occurred there, if you look carefully you can see a woman and her
husband either dancing or fighting. Also at the front yard a girl has been seen about the
age of 2 or 3 running around with a doll in her hand.

Pasadena - The Castle Green -

There have been door knobs that turned when no one was in the hall, shadows
passing under the doors, footsteps heard, faucets turned on in some apartments,
heavy perfume smells, chains rattling. Some apartments are more haunted than others.

Pasadena - Green Street Hotel -

It is said that a ghost woman has been seen on the very top floor of this hotel in an all
white night gown.

Pasadena - haunted forest -

Strange noises, and people following you can be heard there is a haunted house on the
hills to and a mental hospital

Pasadena - The haunted mansion -

nestled in the hills overlooking the Colorado bridge ( suicide bridge ) a old run down
mansion zigzagged with caution tape and broken and boarded up windows reveals a
lurky layer of ghost/ ghost of wild animals and even voices

Pasadena - Rose Bowl parking lot -

Around midnight a lady wearing a white wedding dress was seen walking towards
visitors in the parking lot then disappears.

Pasadena - The Colorado St. and Scoville Bridges -

Heard galloping horses; seen spirit coyotes surrounding a particularfigure with some
sort of head dress; and apparitions.

Pasadena - The Historic State Landmark Theater -

Was once a College of the Performing Arts, and it has been reputedly haunted by the
benevolent spirit of its founder, Gilmore Brown. Long after his death, and when the
college was still operating; the elevator in the classroom tower building would often

stop without command on the floor where Mr. Brown's office was located. Many actors
and technicians have felt a spirit watching the proceedings and one evening.

Pasadena - The Pasadena Playhouse -

Once a school of theater arts and now a state historic landmark theater, is said to be
haunted by the spirit of its founder, Gilmore Brown. The elevator mysteriously stopped
and started, and often stopped for no reason on the floor of Mr. Brown's offices. Hear a
distinct male voice saying "hello," but there is no one in the room.

Pasadena - The Ritz Carlton -

Two guest were staying in a room sleeping. In the middle of the night, the women felt
someone grab her leg from the end of the bed.

Paso Robles - Adelaide - Adelaide cemetery -

it's been said that a young woman walks the cemetery looking for her children. All of
them died after first settling in the area. Her husband then died later. Supposedly every
Friday night around midnight a glowing figure walks the cemetery crying out for her
child, and after about 15 minutes vanishes into the darkness.

Paso Robles - Indian Burial Ground -

There's an old Indian cemetery out near the airport. At night, every night, lights can be
seen and voices heard in the natives' tongue.

Paso Robles - Paso Robles Inn -

The original Paso Robles Inn caught on fire many years ago, the date is unknown to
me. Because there was no 91 1 then, one male resident stayed behind. From a
telephone inside the Inn, he dialed every room to make sure everyone got out. He
ended up dying from a heart attack while still warning other customers. The new Inn
was built using some of the original bricks. It is said that that in one room, a ghost calls
9-1 -1 . It was thought of as a prank at first but when the calls were traced, there were all
traced back to this one room. No one had checked into the room and it was locked. It is
believed that the resident is still tying to save others from the fire, not knowing that
everyone got out except him.

Paramount - Paramount West Campus High School -

it is said that in the school auditorium lights flicker on and off and screams of a girl are
heard, and a deep laughter is heard, a flute has also been heard when no one is actually
there, in the hallways connecting to the from the auditorium to the music room there are
shadows seen of a young girl and a flute is always misplaced.

Paramount - Paramount High School

You can hear a girl screaming for help. That occurs like around midnight. Some people
have witnessed the murderof the girl repeat itself time after time. You can see the girl
being thrown inside the shower after her bloody murder..

Petaluma - the phoenix theater -

this used to be a movie theater and was burned down mysteriously and then it was
built as an opera house and it burned down with people in it but, it was yet again a
mystery on how it burned down, for more info on it go to the phoenix theater history.
Anyway today this place is a hangout for kids and bands play here, but people see
weird things up in the balcony you see out of the corner of your eye a white figure or a
really dark shadow, in the bathrooms you hear things in the bathroom, the balcony is
locked so no one can go in there unless a big show, the basement it the worst, if you
ask the owner about it he will tell you about the place and if you know the band AFI they
have witnessed stuff to, so if you want to check it out go for it! it's an awesome place to
get scared in.

Pico Rivera - El Rancho High School (Drama room) -

The Little Theater (aka the Drama Room) is supposedly haunted by a former teacher
named Mr. Letty. His wake was held (with a portrait rather than his actual body in
casket) in the school, but his spirit never seemed to have left the room. Costumes have
been known to have mysteriously come off their racks and scattered on the floor.

Doors are unlocked and opened on their own. Lights begin to dim and turn on & off by
themselves. Mysterious noises are heard late at night. One student saw the apparition's
face peek through a curtain in the Little Theater's office during drama class. And one
teacher even claimed that when he once tried to sit in one of the theater seats, it was
very, very hot.

Pico Rivera - Rio Hondo Riverbed -
Reports of musket fire and screaming.

Pico Rivera - St. Hillary School -

In room 9, reports of an apparition of a boy doing school work, believed to be a boy that
died in a horrible car accident.

Pittsburg - Old Riverside Elementary (unused site) -

Reports of 3 spirits here. A young girl with long blond hair, a woman with long brown
hair, and a male guessed to be about 5'10". Also heard, a faint/deep voice when he is
around. Lights on in the middle of the night, the alarm can seldom be set)reset at night,
doors open/close, noises are frequently heard (voices, footsteps, doors, other
movement), things get moved/fall over, and the local P.D. will not enter the building.

Pittsburg - Pittsburg High School -

A man student was shot 18 times in the head you can here him running and screaming
for his life and gun shot firing.

Pittsburg - Pittsburg high ( photo room) -

apparently a young girl hung herself in the dark room, when your are in the dark room
you get feel a presence and get cold chills up your neck and back.

Placentia - Crook Park -

in the park the girls bathroom is haunted by a girl who was raped here and the killer has
never been found still on this day every afternoon the girls bathroom will be doing
strange things like lights turning off and on when no one is around and screaming.

Placentia - T ri-City Park -

It has been heard by the late night joggers that footsteps have been seen in the pond
water and an old lady's voice screaming for her lost children.

Placer - Camp Far West Lake - Indian Burial Grounds -

Nearthe Camp Far West Lake Recreational Area lies an Indian Burial Grounds which
now lies within the boundary lines of private property because of the ever
encroachment of people to the area. As with most Indian Burial Grounds the sinister
power is quite strong after several generations. The recent generation has faired much
better than those previous whose family members appeared to all go mad, become
plagued with unexplained deaths, murders and suicides, and grave numerous grave
misfortunes. This generation has the strength to withstand the drawing sinister energy
by not venturing into it's realm - So far (Know what you're really dealing with before you
play with something you cannot put back!)

Placerville - Cary House Hotel -

the Cary House Hotel is one of Placervilles most haunted sites where visitors often
come to investigate the supernatural. Room 212 is said to be the most haunted.

Placerville -Chamber of Commerce Bldg. -

The ghost of a bearded man wearing a top hat has been spotted on the mezzanine of
this old landmark. Employees summoned police several times overthe last 15 years in
attempts to rid the bldg of his presence. They say he resembles descriptions of the
towns official hangman seen in old pictures taken nearly 150 years ago when the town
was know as Hangtown. Most of the hangings took place on the property where the
Chamber of Commerce Bldg is now located. 542 Main Street.

Placerville - Empire Antiques - formerly posted as Empire Theater - May 2004 Update -
The theater has since closed down.

There have been reports of ghosts walking up and down the isles, and in the bathroom,
& cold spots.

Placerville - Hangman's Tree Cafe -

The ghost of claim jumpers and outlaws, many sentenced to hang from an old oak tree
here are said to harass patrons and employees of this small restaurant. Several drivers
have reported seeing the apparitions while passing by in their automobiles. 305 Main
Street

Placerville - The Soda Works -

Coffee Shop/Saloon is located near the end of Main Street. The owner can't seem to let
go. There is an unfinished mine, where supplies were kept and in the summer heat
served as a morgue before refrigeration. He likes to turn on the bathroom taps and
open and close doors. He also likes to hang out at the upstairs bar. Has ever called the
new owner on cellular phone. No one was on the line, but the caller ID kept reading the
phone number to the Soda Works. And if she wasn't there then who was making that
call.

Pleasanton - Gay 90's Pizza -

This building was constructed in the 1 800's. A woman dressed in blue is reported
walking around on the second floor of the building and the owner and his family
claimed to have seen her too. She has written “BoolBoo!” on the inside of the restroom
mirror, every time it is replaced. A girl went into the basement to get boxes and was
violently shoved from behind her when she turned around there was no one there. After
hours when counting money, things have been moved, sodas move to opposite sides
of the table. The license plates the line the ceiling move random ones not all of them
just one or two. Strange things happen when the lights go out.

Pleasanton - Pleasanton Hotel -

Most of the haunting happen in the bar area of this restaurant. The vintage light fixtures
will go dim and then swing back and forth for a short period of time, then stop as
abruptly as it started. A strong cold spot on the north edge of the dance floor. Most
spooky however is when in the ladies room in a stall, a knocking will happen on the
door when no one has entered. Also, in the mirror a gentleman with a decorated festive
hat will be looking at you. When you turn to see if he is behind you he is gone.
Employees have similar stories. The hotel has closed up tunnels under it that at one
time connected to the local police department. The hotel was at one time a very active
brothel.

Pollock Pines - Logging Roads on Ghost Mountain -
Reports of seeing strange lights or "orbs."

Pomona - Charles Grill - Corner of Garey & Holt. St -

Multiple entities, footsteps, slamming doors, arguments, apparitions, physical
phenomena such as potted trees whose tops touch the floor for a few minutes and then
spring to original position. Whatever is there does definitely like to share the space with
the living.

Pomona - Lanterman Developmental Center -

The acute building at the developmental center is thought to be the place with the most
hauntings and activity, with a morgue in the basement for clients that pass. All through
out the center, doors suddenly lock and unlock themselves. Keys spin around in the
locks. Footsteps and voices can be heard on the residences. Figures can be seen
going down the halls, washing there hands, or just playing with staff.

Pomona - Pomona High School - in the band room there are 2 ghosts. One of them
haunts the closet, when someone is changing by themselves they have a feeling of
being watched. The other haunts the back (front) left door, when there is no wind at all
the door either swings open or slams shut all of a sudden and sometimes it refuses to
open even if you pull/push on it. -

April Update: Located behind the school is an empty lot, which is what remains of
Palomares Cemetery. Many believe this is why there are disturbances at the school.

The only sign that the cemetery was there is a very small park (the size of a bathroom)
and plaque located on the east side of the school.

Pomona - Spadra Cemetery - Update: This cemetery is now closed to the public,
because of vandalism the police will be called. -

This cemetery was the original Old Settler's cemetery from the Mid 1800's. It's been the
site of a lot of vandalism overthe years. At nighta male figure can sometimes be seen
walking through the small cemetery disappearing into a headstone. The cemetery will
be very still and quiet, strangely quiet considering it is under a freeway. If respect is
given, it will remain quiet, but as soon as anyone starts messing around, a hot wind
picks up out of nowhere. It can only be felt in the cemetery. Items have been reported to
disappearand reappear in other parts of the cemetery that had not been visited.

Port Costa - Port Costa School -

October 2007 - Has been removed.

Port Hueneme - Bard Mansion -

The Bard Mansion, which resides inside the Port Hueneme Navy Base was originally
built in 1876 on Senator Thomas Bard's Estate named "Berylwood." In 1911, the
enlarged second home was torn down to clear the site for the construction of the
present Thomas Bard House. It's rumored by many that the mansion is haunted by the
late Senator's wife, Mrs. Bard. Her figure can often be seen walking the grounds,
perhaps making sure everything is in order.

Porterville - Ed Trays Hill -

There was a white man killed by a few black men when the KKK was still at large. He
was hung from a tree, his head buried beneath him. To this day, you still can hearfo't
steps, rocks being kicked, and laughter of what sounds like older men. Even a few say
that scratches appear on their arms!

Prundale - Highway 101 -

On Highway 101 there is this group of trees on yourway to San Juan Bautista. It is said
that when you are driving at night, if you flash your lights and you will see the local
'witch* and all of her horrors. You will see bodies hanging from the trees, children
standing on the side of the road with their eyes bleeding. You will see animal corpses
alongside the road and last but not least you will see the witch herself standing in the
middle of the road. There have been many accidents on this road because of people
swerving to not hit her.

Rialto - Rialto high school -

The story is said that a boy who had shot himself on campus because of depression
and died before graduation is seen wandering around the C,E, and G buildings late at
night. You can hear footsteps going up the stairs to the top of the halls. Janitors and
faculty members have also said that when the school is closed at night and they are
working late you can see an image of a boy walking around looking lost, it is also said
that the C building, where the theater is located, is usually the coldest building and
where unexpected things take place such as flickering lights, cold spots and more
footsteps.

Rancho Cucamonga - Joseph Filippi Winery -

Has been removed

Rancho Cucamonga - Red Hill Park -

The men's restroom in Red Hill Park by the Auditorium is very real. When being inside,
you will see a corpse of a dead dog dripping with blood and then it will disappear. This
happens between the hours of 3 am and 345 am. Also a little boy is caught scraping his
knees and he slides across the bathroom floor.

Rancho Cucamonga - The Sycamore Inn - The sycamore inn, now a great steak house
along the old route 66, was established in 1848 but the original inn burned down and
was rebuilt across the street. Apparitions of a man dressed in cowboy style clothes.
www.thesycamoreinn.com

Rancho Palos Verdes - Pt. Vincente Lighthouse -

Typical lighthouse story of a waiting woman. It has been detailed on the news & maybe
on Unsolved Mysteries. There were always stories about the Coast Guard being unable

to keep the place staffed - lots of transfer requests.

Rancho Palos Verdes - Spike - Spike is a vacant lot at the end of Lunada bay. It is
surrounded by houses. But the lot remains vacant, even though they have tried to build
on it several times. When you go near there you start to feel like you want to vomit. Also
cars have been known to stop dead in front of the lot. Urban Legend has it that a
teenager went crazy and killed his family with a axe. Also legend states that on certain
nights you can hear screams and see a ghostly house through the thick fog. There
used to be an iron gate that had sharp black spikes sticking out of it. However this was
long ago and has since been dismantled, this is a local legend, kind of like the
Vanderlip house.

Ravendale - Secret Valley Inn -

It is located off the main highway used by truckers. Legend states that a woman was
murdered in one of the bathtubs. Howls and footsteps can be heard when no one is
around. The whole building seems to creek too.

Redlands - The Fox Theatre -

The Fox Theatre is very haunted. The presence that resides there is sometimes violent.
It's been boarded up for about 10 years and now it's is being renovated. The building
it's connected to was once an opera house when Redlands was first founded. Maybe
one of the jealous actresses is still wandering?

Redlands - Harris department store -

in the women's dressing room you here women talking when the store is closed the
dressing room doors slam and heavy foot steps above the roof when there noting
above

Redlands - Hillside Cemetery -

Hillside Cemetery is a very old cemetery with interments dating back to the mid-late
1800's. Many people have reported strange happenings such as car horns honking by
themselves, balls being thrown back overthe walls after somebody has thrown them in.

Redlands - House of 1 ,000 Stairs -

a large house with 100 stairs 'outside and 900 stairs inside, it is said nuns haunt the
place, it once was a convent. People live there today, unlucky for them they're not the
only ones.

Redlands - Kimberly Crest -

It has been said if you go to Kimberly Crest after hours, you can see a woman in the top
floor window sitting in a rocking chair. Perhaps Kimberly herself?

Redlands - Mariposa Elementary - September 2004 Update - reported as an Urban Myth
- In the late 50's or early 60's, a little boy named Billy was hit by a school bus. He was
immediately taken to the nurse's office where he died. As he was dying, he expressed
his desire to get back to school. Legend says that if you knock on the nurse's door, he
will knock back or you will hear him walking in the room. Sometimes he will want you to
play with him on the playground, but if you refuse, he will pick on you. We hopped the
fence and searched for the office. When we found it, we knocked, only to hear a very
loud shuffling sound emanate from the room. Whether it was a ghost or custodian, we
didn't care. We booked it back to the car and took a quick picture in front of the school
sign that read, " Welcome to Mariposa Elementary, Where All Our Children Grow." - The
police will be called if the neighbors see trespassers. -

June 2008 Additional information - The noise you're hearing is a time clock that makes a
loud clunking noise on a regular basis. It's located near the door, so it's easily heard. If
you knock on the door, you're eventually hearthe noise just by coincidence.

Redlands - Morey Mansion -

This lovely mansion was once a bed and breakfast, but it is now under private
ownership. There have been reports of several apparitions including a little girl, an old
man (once a caretaker for the mansion) and a young boy has been seen. Most sightings
are friendly in nature.

Redlands - Prospect Park -

Prospect Park in Redlands is known to be haunted by several different ghosts, many
people have sighted ghostly figures upon the stage. Years ago, a teenage girl that
performed in one of the plays, was raped & murdered after theater hours.

Redlands - Redlands East Valley High School -

An apparition a boy believed to be a senior who was killed the night before graduation.
He has been seen around the school area.

Redlands - Redlands High School - Theater -

Believed to be haunted by many spirits. Particularly, it is haunted by a teenage
presence who lost his girlfriend in a car accident. He was so distraught by her death
that he would climb up into the theatre's air ducts and write poems about her. He died
in an accident in the theatre coincidently and he now haunts the theatre at all hours.

The poems were painted over in most places, but he still resides here.

Redlands - sacred heart church/school -

late at night during rainy nights on fourth St. there will be immense fog and you can see
multiple transparent figures wandering, when the fog clears on figure of a woman
remains surrounded by fog, walks towards the church then disappears.

Menlo Park - Coleman Mansion currently Peninsula private school -

It is haunted by the ghost of the original owner's wife who was accidentally shot by her
husband. Students and faculty have seen her in the "Big Building".

Merced - Applegate Skate Park -

Reports of a headless skater appearing. The skater is said to have tried a trick and
fallen on his head and he broke his neck

Merced - Girl Scouts Island, Yosemite Lake -

a lady and her daughter went out on a small boat ride while the other girl scouts were
sleeping. The daughter had fallen into a whirlpool and the suction pulled the boat under
leaving the mother behind. Afterthe mother died after grieving years, it is said she goes
into the girls tents now and look for her daughter and sings to the girls and strokes
there hair.

Merced - The T ower Theater -

The Tower Theater is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young women said to have
killed herself by jumping off the tower peak after being notified that her fiance had been
killed in the war. People have said they have seen the women in the theater asking if
they have seen "Johnny".

Merced - Yosemite Lake at the tower -

The story is told that in the 1 970s at the boat tower. A mother had taken her two kids
swimming and were jumping off the tower. The kids had drowned from hitting shallow
waters. The bodies were never found. Every night the mother would drive her car out
there and would look for her kids. She had past away and still to this day you will see a
car drive out there and see a woman in a long flowing gown with her arms out crying
and calling herfor her children.

Milpitas - Ed Levin Park Cemetery -

The cemetery is now closed, but even in the daytime, electronics will shut off, start on
own, loud moans can be heard, flashes of lights and car problems. Very cold in spots.

Mission Hills - San Fernando Mission -

Apparition of a lady in a white dress with a white scarf on her head praying at the front
row of the chapel that vanishes.

Modesto - Acacia Cemetery -

A very old cemetery, many people have heard a very mournful crying/screaming while
driving through the cemetery even in daylight hours. Also, a very horrible feeling of

Redlands - The Gates of Hell - There are two black iron gates standing along the
roadside of Sunset street in Redlands. Extremely unusual things are supposed to
happen after crossing these gates, such as, a ghost with a headless cat comes running
after you, a bloody bull's head rolls down the drive-way, and so on. The black iron
gates are still sitting on the road, but the trail leading to the house has been hidden by
bushes and trees.

Update: Has been torn down and built over.

Redlands - The Ultimate Ghost Town -

The majority of the houses are very old and Victorian, especially on the far South side.
There are many stories of haunted houses and ghost there. Redlands is also supposed
to be one of the highest ranking cities for devil worshippers.

Redlands - University of Redlands - Merriam Hall -

The ghost of a man in army clothing wanders the halls of Merriam, a dormitory. He is
known for sitting in the bathroom stall next to yours late at night. Many have reported
seeing boots in the next stall when in fact; there was no one in there but them. At night,
when some girls are brushing their hair in the mirror, they see the reflection of a man
wearing army clothing.

Redondo Beach - Redondo Union High School -

There have been many sightings of a ghost named Jake in the High schools
Auditorium, he died there in the 1940's. There are also footsteps that are supposed to
be from Jake walking up the wall. There have been loud knocks on the walls when no
one is on the other side of them, lights turning on and off, and sightings and sounds
from a staircase leading up to the sound booth. Some other happenings in the
auditorium are paper airplanes falling from the catwalk and landing directly center
stage. Students experienced cold chills in one of the staircases leading up to the
sound/light booth. Keys that had been lost several years before at some other high
school had fallen from nowhere next to the owner of them at RUHS. Another guy has
died in that auditorium about a year ago when he had a heart attack while visiting the
bathroom. No known experiences have occurred in the men's bathroom yet except that
his blood is still stained into the grommet of the tile.

Redwood City - Canada College -

Many people have taken the elevator in the learning center around 1:15 in the
afternoon, and they have complaint that all of a sudden they smell dead dog. Also, In
the parking lot, People can see a naked guy doing the spits and disappearing into thin
air.

Reedley - Old Opera House -

She has been named Jessica. She moves things, turns lights on and off. Opens and

closes doors. The balcony has cold spots. If you question her presents she will show
you by moving something. You don't see it move but you hear it land. If your alone you
can hear voices in another part of the building. And don't be surprised if you get a pat
on your head for doing a good job.

Rialto - Blockbuster Video -

After hours, the power has gone out in the store while neighboring businesses remain
unaffected. Drop box doors have swung open by themselves and the sound of
someone walking has been heard when no one is around. The specter even leaves
footprints.

Rialto - Rialto Public Pool -

An older man and a young pregnant woman in 20s clothing wanders the office area and
pool deck. They have been known to walk straight across the pool (right above the
water) and fling papers and chairs around in the office area. Many of the lifeguards and
faculty refuse to be there alone after dark.

Richmond - Salesian High School -

Reports of a ghost that haunts the third floor.. .students sense his presence when
walking the halls after hours.

Ridgecrest - Burroughs High School Lecture Center -

There are two ghosts in the lecture center. One man died when he fell off some scaffold
and dropped 100 feet on his head during the building of the auditorium. The second
man was an actor in a play by the school's drama club. A scene where the main
character was shot was tragically ended when another member of the club put a live
bullet in the prop gun for the play. Custodians in the building report lights being turned
back on after several attempts to turn them off. And a seat on the left side has cold
areas noticed by anyone who sits there. During plays where a scene is very sad, the left
curtain blows when there is no draft.

Riverside - Alta Vista Convalescing -

Call light turning on in room after patient passed away. Heavy medication door closing
by itself on station 3. Many reports by staff of seeing a ghostly figure of a man who killed
himself years ago on station 3.

Riverside - At the Villa -

Just one block north of the Mission Inn at 3563 Main Street is an antiques store called
At The Villa. It is housed in an old building circa 1890, which was the original mercantile
for Riverside. Objects move on their own accord and sometimes disappear only to
reappear later in a different spot. There is sometimes a strong scent of perfume. A lady
who had a shop at this location died violently in a carjacking in the mid 1990's and

some say that it is her spirit, although it is an old building. When asked about this the
staff will usually laugh a bit and tell you of a personal experience.

Riverside - California Baptist University - Catacombs -

Before the old mission style buildings were a college campus, they housed an insane
asylum. In the early 1900's through the 1950's mentally insane patients walked the halls
of the 4 story building. Under the building was a network of catacombs that allowed
hospital workers to enter and exit the hospital once all the doors were locked. It is
rumored that sometimes bad patients were taken down into the catacombs to be
tortured. The basement of the college now holds offices, but also is where the entrance
to the catacombs are located. Throughout the campus there are entrances to the
catacombs as well. At night, one can hear knocking on the doorto the catacombs in the
basement and will feel a very cold presence. At random times the secret entrances will
be found open with freezing cold air coming out of them. Students have reported going
into th e catacombs and seeing the spirits of the patients from the asylum walking
through the catacombs.

Riverside - Castle Park - Many employees have reported seeing a "lady in a white
dress" in the ride park as well as one employee being physically pushed inside the Big
Top restaurant. Sightings also include a spirit standing on the balcony above the Plaza
Cafe. This spirit reportedly flew across to the trees when the employee looked up at it.
The last experience was inside the arcade after hours. Reportedly an unseen spirit
opened and closed the door by prize counter several times when there was no one
around. This incident was heard and not seen. Strangely enough all sightings and
experiences are by males and the spirits are reportedly female. No actual harm was
done by the spirits. This area of land from the Tyler Mall to La Sierra Blvd was an old
Indian Burial Ground. -

In addition to what you already know about the park, a former employee also had an
experience in the railroad trac ks tunnel in the park. After hours when all the guests are
gone the cafe would close, when any of the employees would be sent to toss away the
trash in the far end of the parking lot, they would have to go in pairs. Reason being is
because when you cross the tracks near the cafe you can see the silhouettes of Indian
women walking around. Sometimes you can also see what appears to be a fire burning
in the far corner, but when you go to check it out it dims away.

Riverside - Indian Hills - The Avilas House -

The Avilas House is an old mansion located in Indian Hills. At night, there have been
sightings of an old woman walking the hallways and knocking on the doorto the
laundry room.

Riverside - Mission Inn -

The Mission Inn is an older, semi-spooky (yet extremely classy and pricey) hotel. While
guests of the Inn may enjoy modern amenities such as an outdoor Olympic sized pool

and fitness center, the catacombs that run underneath the building heading in the
direction of Mt. Rubidoux are now closed. As one current employee of the Inn
remembers, an older gentleman was once given a room in one of the upper stories of
the building, as there were no lower floor rooms available due to construction. The next
morning, when the gentleman was asked if his accommodations were adequate, he
replied, "All was fine, especially the woman singing beautifully in the next room." He
was the only tenant on that floor. This place is haunted by the Millers. The Mission Inn
Hotel was originally a 12 room cottage where the pool now sits. The existing structure
of the hotel was begun in 1900 and completed in a pproximately 1947. Owned first by
C.C. Miller and sold to his son, Frank, in 1900. Frank's sister, Alice, managed the hotel
until her death in the late '40s.

Riverside - Mission Inn - 215 -

reports of blue lights the size of a bowling ball has been reported inside room 215.
Riverside - Mission Inn - Alice Miller's ('Aunt Alice') room -

4th floor, south east corner. This two-level room is very active. Reports of cold spots,
touches, apparitions. Strong presence of Alice.

Riverside - Mission Inn - Bridal/Honevmoon Suite -

Across from Alice Miller's room. Multiple reports of being pushed down the spiral
staircase of this two-level room. In 1993, a couple on their honeymoon night checked
out of the room just after midnight after reportedly being pushed on the stairwell.

Riverside - Mission Inn - Catacombs -

Once an underground museum, this area was closed to the public when the hotel was
re-opened in 1992. There was an enormous amount of activity in the area of the foyer
during the years immediately following the hotel's re-opening. The hotel's comptroller
at re-opening resigned after seeing someone in this area late one evening.

Riverside - Mission Inn - Frank Miller's Room -

4th floor, north east corner. One of the only rooms not restored during the closure of
the hotel from 1985 to 1992. Possibly now a banquet room at the end of Author's Row.
Strong presence of Mr. Miller.

Riverside - Mission Inn - Hallways -

numerous sightings of vanishing guests along hallways throughout hotel, particularly
along Author's Row, covered hallway near Alice Miller's room, 2nd and 4th floor
hallways (east-to-west) parallel to pool, service area hallway behind Mission dining
room.

Riverside - Mission Inn - Mission Dining Room fa.k.a. 'Spanish Dining Room') -

Apparition seen traveling near ceiling from entrance wall, nearthe patio, to the far back
wall (south to north).

Riverside - Mission Inn - Rotunda -

limited sightings. Area was closed to public after re-opening but has since opened to
retail space around 1997 or 1998.

Riverside - Mission Inn - Spanish Patio -

strong presences felt throughout, particularly in north-east cloister near the Lincoln
bust. Mission-themed Glockenspiel was designed by Alice Miller who died just before it
was completed. The clock is notorious for misbehaving.

Riverside - Mission Inn - St. Francis Chaoel Courtyard -

strong presences experienced near left end of Flyer's Wall memorial.

Riverside - Mission Inn - Storage Building behind hotel (north side) -

Attached by a small bridge to the main structure of the hotel, this small building has
been closed to the public since re-opening with limited employee access. Numerous
accounts of sightings and unexplained noises. A construction worker reportedly lost
his life during reconstruction in the late '80s in this building.

Riverside - Mount Rubidoux -

If you ever take the time to visit this location, it is said that late at night, old spirits can be
seen walking the tops of the rough terrain. In your ramblings across the area, you are
also likely to find a tiny picture encased in the jagged rock of Mt. Rubidoux, which
appears to be a portrait of Jesus Christ. Not strange enough for you? It used to appear
as the Mother Mary!

Riverside - Palm Desert - Palm Desert High School -

It is reported of a young girl walking around at night around the pool, it was said that
she drowned in 1990 and has never left her school hoping to one day swim on a team
again.

Riverside - The Press Enterprise -

Reports of an old lady walking in the hallway near the old pressroom, and disappears
as she passes by. Doors of the Restroom stalls slam shut then lock by there self as you
watch, and tapping on the right shoulder then instantly feeling very cold.

Riverside - Riverside Bridge -

Supposedly, the now dry riverbed used to house a green "monster." This "monster"
was reportedly seen on one occasion when it came up on the bridge and attacked the

passenger of a car. Green residue was the only evidence left behind on this meet-and-
greetwith civilization.

Riverside - Riverside Cemetery -

This cemetery is an extremely old burial site that is now owned by Riverside Parks and
Recreation. The grounds are run down and not well kept, complete with fallen
headstones that lie haphazardly amongst the final resting places of the dead. Residents
of the area (breathing, flesh and blood residents, that is) live a mere 50 feet from the
graveyard! Add to this creepy scene the irony of a "One Way" sign situated across from
the cemetery that glows eerily without the aid of streetlights.

Riverside - Riverside Municipal Auditorium -

Like many theaters, the Riverside Municipal Auditorium decided to put on a production
of "The Nutcracker." An old man who had longed to see the show for years, bought
admission to the show, but is said to have died of "natural causes" during the play. To
this day, people claim to see him there on many occasions. Does he come back to see
the end of the show he missed so long ago?

Riverside - UCR Lothian Dining services -

Custodial and late-night staff have complained of feeling cold drafts and "spots" at
nights. Some doors have been said to close unexpectedly, and plates and silverware
have been found to be missing or re-arranged. In spring 2006, a student unfortunately
hung himself in the Lothian dormitory late at night., there have been stories of people
seeing or feeling his presence.

Riverside - University of California Rivera Library -

Most of the very large Rivera Library was remodeled during 2000-2001. Parts of it were
left untouched however, upon entering the main entrance turn left, it will be clear which
parts are older. It is said a female ghost haunts these parts, on the first and second
floors, mainly at night and after patrons have left and in the early morning hours.
Janitors working after midnight have reported sounds and cold spots. Short lasting
obnoxious odors have been smelled in the basement. A great time to go would be
during finals week as the library is open until 2am.

Riverside - Victoria And Dufferin -

People have said to have seen many "Black Blurs" wondering the area, and have heard
screeching cries that sound like children being tortured.

Rocklin - Finn Hall -

Finn Hall is a playhouse and the ghosts of old play writers about 20 yrs. old still haunt
the halls today.

Rocklin - Rocklin high school theater -

A ghost named "Billy" is believed to haunt the school's theater. There have been many
incidents such as when after school two students helping the teacher touchup paint on
the walls of the theater saw "help" mysteriously written on the unpainted part of the
wall. Another time, a cell phone was found after school and put in a locked cupboard
for three days. When it stared ringing on the third day, a student unlocked the cupboard
to answer it and couldn't reach it in time. So he dialed *69. A graduated student that was
visiting cell phone rang, the first student asked her why she was calling that phone and
she said that that number had called her the day before. And she didn't call the phone
at all. The interesting thing is that the phone had been locked up all weekend long. Only
the teacher had keys to the lock.

Rohnert Park - Gravity Hill -

When you park your car at the bottom of the hill and put it in neutral you go backwards
up the hill.

Rosemead - Don Bosco Tech -

A student who shot himself in the parking lot is still seen at night in the front parking lot.
also student have heard people crying in the restrooms of the 400 and 600 buildings.

Rosemead - Richard Garvey Intermediate -

Teachers been knowing that the 500 building is haunted. Sometimes the janitor have
been touch on the shoulder while cleaning up. Many teachers told the student to not
hang around there, but they always say "its a tradition for the 8th graders" students
from 2001 reported that they are being watch at all times.

Rosemead - Corner of Rush and San Gabriel BLVD -

a few years ago an MTA bus crashed into a small car unfortunately killing one of the
passengers. The wreckage scar still remains. People say that a shadowy figure can be
seen standing underneath the tree as if waiting for something. People say that they
hear, orfeel someone when waiting at the crosswalk where the accident occurred.

Roseville - Woodcreek High School -

A ghost by the name of Mac haunts the theatre. He is known for dropping lights from
the ceiling. Locking doors in the theatre. ..and tripping actors backstage

Rowland Heights - Rowland High School -

One of the faculty members died in a car accident right in front of the school. Since
then, at night students have been reporting a lady wearing torn up clothes and scars
through her face standing in the middle of the road.

Rubidoux - Mount Rubidoux -

between the hours of 1-3am on the east end of the mountain. Strange figures have been
seen running and hiding as if playing a game, in groups of three. They have been
described as elves/little people. They are known to throw small rocks in your direction,
and stack small piles of rocks in a path you just have taken.

Sacremento - Ashford Park Apartments -

apparition of a child has been reported.

Sacramento - Crocker Art Museum -

Reports of feeling a presence, hearing squeak of the floor boards, and seeing the
apparition of a man.

Sacramento - Delta King River Boat ■ Theater -

An old paddle wheel boat docked at Old Sacramento, now used as a theater and
restaurant. The theater is haunted by the ghost of the original captain. Employees have
seen him sitting in the balcony during productions; footsteps are heard above deck, a
glass of water spilled by unseen force onto the soundboard in the sound booth.

Sacramento - Florin Rd. - Burger King -

A gunman walked in during a busy lunch hour and shot the store manager and turned
the gun on himself. It is believed that on certain late night shifts the people working can
hear gunshots and screams as if the spirits involved are reenacting the event.

Sacramento - Freeport Factory -

It is said that the Freeport Factory is Haunted by workers that died on the job. If you are
able to open a door into the factory make sure you hold on or the door will swing shut
and lock on its own. You can also hear the laughter of little children as if they were
playing in a playground.

Sacramento - Iceland -

The original owner and builder of Sacramento's oldest ice skating rink still makes his
rounds at night. "Pops" Kerth, father of Sacramento City Councilman, and mayoral
hopeful, Rob Kerth, wanders the dark, cold rink at 4 a.m., just as he always did, making
certain ail is well.

Sacramento - Jackson and Bradshaw -

The house was built Pre-Gold rush. Reports of children crying, screaming, whispering,
items moving on their own, and various reports of shadows moving about the rooms.

Sacramento - The Martinez House - Located on H and 22nd St. in Sacramento, this two

story stone structure complete with a creepy attic, palm tree and two gargoyles with
lions heads was the site of a huge murder. K is said that Dr. Arden Hart (who founded
Sutter hospitals) gifted this house to the patriarch of his family who apparently suffered
from some form of dementia, where he one day murdered everyone in the house
including all his house staff, grandchildren and even the family cat. House was sold on
the cheap to the Martinez family in 1976 who then started reporting struggles going on
in the kitchen in the middle of the night, apparitions of a panting presence that would
visualize of an oriental man in a white lab coat, a woman in a flower print dress, the
grandchildren and the gray and white cat. House has been abandoned since 2000
when the grandson of the family lived there briefly but was scared out by "something"
changing the radio stations constantly. House has been under paranormal
investigation along with the Sacramento Theatre Company not too far from it. -

As with any site submitted to The Shadowlands, always make sure you have
permission to visit any site. T respassing is not tolerated.

Sacramento - Puente House - The Puente House is located on F St. in downtown
Sacramento. In the 80's it was a boarding house for senior citizens. Dorothea Puente,
the landlady, was subsequently found guilty of murdering her boarders and burying
them in the backyard so that she could collect their social security checks. The house
has been renovated and resold, but has an eerie quality about it. Photos taken in front
of the house show anomalies and ectoplasm mist. - January 2007 Correction: Formerly
listed on E Street. Interesting Link: Crime Library

Sacramento - The Record -

ghost of a very old woman in Victorian clothing is seen.

Sacramento * Sand Cove Park -

Ghost lights appearfrom time to time. A woman's voice saying "Te papa" near the
Sacramento River. Sight was probably an Indian Burial Ground or Mine Shafts.

Sacramento - Sacramento City Cemetery -

Reports of several apparitions including a couple dressed in black, a pit bull who
follows visitors around the cemetery and suddenly disappears (no animals are allowed
inside the gates), and a little girl seen playing near the headstone of a deceased child.
The cemetery is closed at night except for occasional guided tours and is well known
for its numerous hauntings.

Sacramento - Sacramento Room of the Central Library -

2nd floor Sacramento Room - Sometimes it feels & sounds like someone is at the back
of the room in the California section. The staff often hears the sound of Mylar rustling,
most of the time it sounds like someone shelving or pulling out books. Also sounds like
someone is in the copy room, when no is back there. There will be a staff member look

for a book & they will not find it the shelf, then another staff person will look for it & the
book will not be there, then another will look & it will be there. They have had up to four
people looking, then someone will finally find it in its proper place, the exact place
everyone else has looked several times! 2 witnesses heard & saw one of the glass
doors [700s] close. The doors sometimes swing open naturally & but never close! One
employee working in the office a little before 7 a.m. and heard the wooden shutters on
the door leading into the copy machine area rattle. Thinking it was a custodian entering
he initially paid it no mind until he realized he had not heard the front door, which was
locked, open. Acquainted with the stories surrounding the Sacramento Room and
having had prior experiences in the building he wasn't surprised to discover no one
there. A complete walk through the room found it completely empty! Subsequent
conversation with custodian Caroline revealed that no employee had been in that area
at that time.

Sacramento - Sacramento Theater Company -

Reported to be one of the most haunted buildings in Sacramento, this theater is home
to at least five ghosts. The most well known specter, believed to be a former stagehand,
has been affectionately dubbed "Pinky" because of the glowing pink aura that is often
seen near hot spots. Disturbances include footsteps heard on the stage after hours, a
man walking the hallways, lights flickering. The theater is currently under paranormal
investigation.

Sacramento - Sutter Middle School -

Sometimes at night there have been reports of doors slamming and items being moved
around. It was built on top of an Indian burial ground.

Sacramento - Tunnels under Old Sacramento - There are a series of tunnels that run
under Old Sacramento. These tunnels were originally the streets of Sacramento before
the first 8 or so blocks next to the river were raised above sea level to avoid flooding.
Apparently, the tunnels had served as opium dens, brothels and possibly for ritualistic
activity at some point. Several business owners with access to the tunnels have
reported an extremely menacing energy and strange noises coming from the tunnels,
and went so far as to hire a paranormal investigator. Rumor is that the tunnels are now
sealed off. -

August 2005: A visitor to our site reports that the rumor is FALSE - people can still enter
the old tunnels through basements of the older buildings in Old Town Sacramento, as
long as they have the property owner's permission or are in the company of the
property's owner. It is reported everything is still preserved.

Salinas - old stage road -

Old stage road has been known for many hauntings. It runs right outside of Salinas and
goes through the back roads of King city. One of the most infamous stories that have
been passed down was back in the late 1800's or early 1900's there was a woman that

foreboding often comes with hearing these cries and screams. One couple, just using
the cemetery as a short cut, heard & felt it, ’’The sound and feelings were very alarming
in the fact that they seemed to be all around us, as if inside the vehicle with us. It was a
very frightening experience due to the fact that it was indeed broad daylight when this
occurred.”

Modesto - Ambulance Station on Granger -

The building that now houses workers of a local 24 hour ambulance service also holds
the ghosts of former residents. It is said that back in the 60's two parents killed their
three children in the house. Also, as recently as the early 90's, an old Indian man died in
the house alone while praying to a religious alter. This room, where the old man died is
avoided by the current occupants due to cold and ominous feelings of dread. The
employees of the ambulance service have witnessed; doors and windows opening and
closing at will, objects moving across the room, the shower turning off and on, the
sound of voices and children playing in the house, the sound of footsteps, and recently
while one employee showered she heard a voice yell "Get out!" This sent the employee
out of the bathroom, out of the house, and onto the front lawn where she stood
trembling under a wet towel. The house is not hard to find, it's at the corner of McHenry
and Granger right next door to a skateboard shop.

Modesto - Dry Creek Running Trial - Joggers have claimed to see the figure of an Indian
man when running nearthis creek. Some say that the spirit of the Indian is watching
over the joggers who run the trail. Others believe he is protecting the sacred land. There
is also the spirit of a young man who haunts the bridge on Clause Road. It was reported
that he jumped off the bridge into the shallow creek and died. Joggers have reported
that while they are running in the early morning or late at night, they can hear a shallow
yell or scream along with a splash. -

October 2003 Update: This bridge is at the intersection of Claus Road and Scenic Drive.
About 1/4 mile north of Johanson High School.

Modesto - Fuddrucker’s Restaurant - Formerly listed as Blockbuster Video - most
employees from the Blockbuster have witnessed this entity. It seems to be male and
has a desire to make contact with the living. After closing, he will activate battery
operated toys that are sold in the store, open and close the locked bathroom door, turn
the lights off and on and then off again, and most frightening of all, he speaks to the
employees through the store sound system. When all trailer tapes have stopped
running and the satellite TV display has been shut off, the ghost has been known to say
things such as... "shh... listen," and "you've been bad..." Another incident that took
place was after midnight when a manager and another employee went into the office
momentarily only to return finding over thirty-movie cover boxes stacked neatly on top
of each other in the floor. This scared both people so much that they didn't investigate
until the next day. The boxes were stacked in a corner of the store that the security
cameras had no coverage of, so their story to their co-workers the next day was not
taken seriously. -

was walking along side the road and there was a man who asked her for a ride and she
accepted it. After a couple of minutes passed by, he pulled over and savagely attacked
and raped her. After this horrendous act he took the body out into the fields and
decapitated her. Then he went out threw the head into the fields and left the body. After
that there was sightings of a woman walking down the road holding her own head or
you see a woman walking and if someone picks her up she'll sit there for a moment and
then vanishes right where the crime occurred.

Salinas - Market Street House -

An old woman is said to have committed suicide by hanging herself in the living room.
She has been seen wearing a black dress. Children and other witnesses have reported
of a feeling of choking, and a feeling of hertrying to interact with different ones.

Salinas - Salinas High Bell Tower -

It is reported from several students that a teenage girl from the age of 15-18 (believed to
be named "Jennifer")has been seen and heard looking for her boyfriend by the name of
Adrian. It has been said that she has asked students to tell him goodbye for her.... then
disappears.

San Bernardino - Agua Mansa Cemetery -

The whole stretch of road leading to this cemetery is said to be haunted by a beautiful
lady that drowned her six children many years ago. According to Hispanic legend, she
is known as La Llorona, or the Weeping Woman, and is doomed to roam the streets in
search of the children she killed. Is she trying to reunite the family she destroyed so
long ago? In addition to this otherworldly poltergeist, there have also been many
unexplained fatal car crashes, as well as hauntings committed by two people that were
murdered execution style on that road.

San Bernardino - Apartments on Marshall Blvd. - Abandoned - Reports of cold spots, an
apparition of a little girl. - **Warninq As with any ofthe places mentioned, please use
caution when investigating these haunted places, some may be structurally unsafe, or
not so nice people.

San Bernardino - Aquinas High School-

A student from Aquinas hung himself on a beam between the stairways, his floating
image can be see after dark in the library as well.

San Bernardino - Calico Ghost Town -

People have claimed to see the ghost of Wyatt Earp walk down the dust roads of calico
tipping his at a them when he walks by . People have also said that the old mine tunnel
is haunted by the men who have died while trying to seek there fortune, some
employees have said that they have see a man with a pick ax warning them not to walk
threw visitors have reported many different sightings

San Bernardino - California Theater -

Reports of a presence felt and seeing movement in your peripheral vision.

San Bernardino - Gravity hill -

Go north on highway 18 towards Lake Arrowhead, turn right on "old Waterman Canyon
road" drive until you get to the first small bridge, drive onto the bridge and stop, put
your vehicle in neutral, on you will slowly begin to roll backwards uphill.

San Bernardino - Holy Rosary catholic school k-8 -

Only one teacher opens up in the morning at 6am, because of the sightings of nuns
walking the halls going to classrooms, school is really old, and back then we couldn't
get much out of the teacher that opened the place up because she wouldn't tell anyone,
but she told a few of the mature kids

San Bernardino - St Bernadine Hospital -

A nun has been seen walking the halls in the oldest parts of the hospital for at least 30
years. She is seen mostly at night and on a few different floors. This part of the hospital
is no longer used for patients and is empty at night. A convent is connected to this part
of the hospital and a few nuns have died there.

San Bernardino - San Bernardino high auditorium -

Doors close, lights go on by themselves. Stories heard by teachers that use to be
students from the school have seen weird figures in the Auditorium. H was heard that
one of the students were fixing the lights on the second floor balcony, they fell off it
falling to the first fall dying. Cold spots have also been reported by students that head
to the second floor balcony.

San Bruno - chuck e cheese -

customers say that there are cold spots in the showroom area, and they feel that
someone is watching them. At nighttime one time a customer saw the shadow of
someone.

San Clemente - Shorecliffs Golf Course -

Sewer pipes running through the Shorecliffs golf course have images of children
floating through the walls and sometimes walking in the tunnels. Laughter and crying
are often heard with no explanation. Also growling animals are heard snarling and
whimpering as if in combat and being killed.

San Clemente - Talega golf course, hole two (par 5 uphill) -

an Indian woman has been seen in the brush filled savannah between the tee and

fairway apron. Generally a very faint image of the native American appears in the
morning and very late afternoon.

San Clemente - Train T racks near Cottons -

blood will sometimes appear on the train tracks near Cottons where a surfer was killed
while attempting to cross the railway to the water. His ghost has also been ‘alleged’ to
have actually saved other surfers from harms way in the general area... ghost of the
lost surfer.

San Diego - Bonita - Bonita rd -

Reports of an older man appears in the backseat of the witnesses' cars. He is said to be
the ghost of a man that was run over here.

San Diego - Bonita Vista High School -

In the boys locker room, showers sometimes turn off and on by themselves. The boy's
bathroom in the gym's front room has been reported to have loud whispering coming
from it when no one is inside, and a malevolent force is often felt in the bathroom. In the
gym, cold spots are often felt on the bleachers, and at times you can feel a hand grab
your ankle or shoulder, even if you are alone.

San Diego - Brooklyn Elementary School -

Janitors claim to see children running throw the hallways at night, and When the
Janitors try to go home after there shift is over the doors wont open they say it feels like
someone is on the other side pushing the door. They also say there's cold spats and
hear children crying

San Diego - Chula Vista - Procter Valley -

park in dirt parking next to fence you'll see a lady in white floating across the field and
glowing you'll often here somebody throwing rocks at you too.

San Diego - Downtown - Solar T urbines - Harbor Drive near San Diego Airport and
Kearny Mesa on Ruffin Rd: Global power company built in the 1 880's. Apparitions have
been seen in the engineering factory areas. These apparitions are said to be devoted
workers who have long since passed on but will never "retire." Office areas have been
reported to have unintelligible whispers, elevators moving with no one pushing a call
button, sounds of doors opening/closing, etc.

NOTE: This is a secure industrial facility. Access is restricted.

San Diego - El Cajon - One of the Mobil home spaces -

In one of the spaces There is said to be an old man that appears occasionally in the
house where 2 old people live; a women and a man. Once when the man who lived

there was saying a prayer the ghost would get really mad and start throwing stuff off
the shelf. Then when the man was out of the house the woman thought that he was
back and she heard the doorknob starting to twist but not open so she went to look
and no one was there. Anothertime was when the man was fixing up his car he saw the
ghost and said hi because he thought that it was a person who lived in there park. He
put his screwdriver down looked back at it and it wasn't there he looked down the
street and up the street and the ghost was nowhere in sight. Still to this day they see
the ghost he is very pale and you can only see his upper body.

San Diego - El Cajon - Rios Canyon -

The ghosts of two cowboys can be seen at the back end of the canyon on the old dirt
road. Some say "they're looking for the lost gold".

San Diego - El Fandango Restaurant -

a woman in white appears at a dark table in the corner.

San Diego - Horton Grand Hotel -

Located in downtown San Diego has 1 or more haunted rooms. Temperature changes
and sightings

San Diego - The Hotel Del Coronado -

Kate Morgan reportedly killed herself. Her body was found on the steps leading to the
beach. It was also thought it may have been murder. She is seen not only in her room,
(which is now room 3312) but other areas of the hotel and grounds as well.

San Diego - Lake Morena Campground -

Across from one of the campsites, in a wooded area, there appears the ghost of a
young woman in a long white dress. There is a cold and eerie presence near the
boulders that lie beneath the trees, and her apparition has been seen on two occasions
by two different men. The first sighting occurred on a warm July night around 9:00 p.m.
A group was setting up camp when one of the men ventured over to the dark area and
found the young lady looking at him. He was startled and turned away. When he turned
back, she had vanished but he could still feel her presence. The second sighting
occurred around 3:00 a.m., a couple of days later. Another man from the same group of
campers got out of his tent after being awakened from a deep sleep by an unknown
presence. He looked over his tent and saw the lady pacing. She stopped, looked right
at his face, then continued to pace as if she were waiting for someone. The man went to
wake up his friends, but by the time he woke anyone she had vanished. Not being able
to sleep after the sighting, he decided to stay awake with another camper and start a
campfire. In the distance, they could hear the voice of a woman laughing and singing.
There seemed to be no explanation for it at that time of the morning. On other
occasions the same campers have heard heavy footsteps around their tents during the

night that do not fade as if someone were walking away, but simply lift and disappear.

In a photo taken of one of the campers in this area, there appears a large orb floating
right next to him.

San Diego - McDonalds on Miramar Rd. -

Strange things would happen during the dead of night while McDonald workers would
be closing and preparing for the next day. T ubs of Mustard, straws, etc. would be
thrown across and scattered the next morning. In one of the bathroom stalls, there
would be a picture of the devil create from the wood grains of the stall door. The door
has been replaced due to too many visitors wanting to see the "face".

San Diego - Mission Valley - Taco Bell -

employees have reported whispers coming from the bathroom. Trash doors swinging
one time at closing there was three closers one manager and two crew one of the crew
members was washing dishes he seen some one who he thought was a employee walk
behind him and go in the walk-in freezer" so the employee thought he would play a joke
on the employee as he held the door tightly the door was moving like there was some
one in there when three minutes went by then the employee let go of the door, he went
to go see if the manager was coming but he was shocked to see both the manager and
the employee was working he was really scared he had goose bumps.

San Diego - Montgomery High School -

Floating lights can be seen late at night in the football stadium .Witnesses have heard
screaming and then saw balls of floating lights came towards them, chasing them until
they got to the front of school near the main office. Reports of voices in the bathrooms
as well.

San Diego - Muirlans Middle School -

The school was built in the early 50's. There was a girl that once went to the school in
the 60's who died by bumping her head during a PE class. Ever since people have said
of strange noises from behind them only to see that no one is there.

San Diego - NAS Miramar -

Hangar 1 is haunted by the crew of a F-8 Crusader that crashed there in the late 60's.
San Diego - Nijiya Market -

In this small Japanese grocery store an elderly customer suffered a heart attack and
died in the store. Sometimes objects fall from the shelves on their own and with no
explanation; one manager while there in the middle of the night heard strange noises
and his name whispered several times.

San Diego - El Campo Santo Cemetery - Formerly posted as "Old Town Cemetery"

This was partially paved over with a road. It is said ghosts appearto be crossing that
section of the road at night. -

February 2004 Correction: The proper name of the "Old Town Cemetery" in San Diego
is "El Campo Santo Cemetery." Among the numerous other spirits sighted at the
location (including the paved portions under the adjacent sidewalk and streets),
psychics claim that the site is to this day overseen by the spirit of the gravedigger
whose own grave is near the cemetery's SE corner.

San Diego - Point Loma National Cemetery -

just north of the city of San Diego is a Normandy-sized cemetery that was a favorite
place for marines awaiting to leave for westpac ground forces. The marines used to go
there on short liberties to lay amongst the grave stones, smoke and get drunk and near
midnight witness souls rising from their graves to walk near the one thousand foot
cliffs and look out over into the pacific ocean to see if their country was secure and
then they would return to their graves. Not to many young marines wanted to talk about
this experience back at the old main side of camp Pendleton as the cemetery is the
location of thousands of buried marines from the first and fifth marine divisions killed in
action during world war two.

San Diego - Presidio Park -

A little white dear can be seen running around but then it vanishes when it is spotted.
San Diego - Ramona High School -

Students in the band room have reported instruments in cases being ejected out of
lockers (locked with combination locks) And their cases being flung open during
private tutoring sessions

San Diego - San Marcos/Elfin Forest - Questhaven Asylum -

Reports of orbs and an apparition of a man with a missing arm standing behind the
gates. IF you want to see the video go to Youtube.com and search Questhaven.

San Diego - Screaming T ree -

In the suburb of Lakeside, at the end of Willow Road, there is a narrow dirt road, down
this road some distance (and after passing a slaughterhouse of some sort) there is a
clearing with a tree, supposedly if one blasts one's car horn three times a ghost of a girl
will start screaming. Mostly this area is a hangout for dubious characters so it may not
be a good idea to go alone.

San Diego - The Whaley House - haunted by Thomas Whaley & it is believed there are
others. This house was once the city's courtroom. The haunting extens beyond
Thomas Whaley and to a man hanged just outside the house. He was hung for stealing
a boat. One visitor strongly felt the presence of a woman while touring the house, in

one of the upstairs bedrooms. “It was not frightening...the presence was actually
welcoming. There are tours in this place.

San Diego - U.S Grant Hotel -

This hotel was built in 1910, and apparently a man walks the hallways of the hotel, and
at times goes into the rooms and makes noises.

San Diego - Vagabond Motel near 5 Freeway & Garnet -

Tangible feeling of dread, oppression, and sadness in room 325 and nearby hallway.
Occasional glimpses of spirit of "Amanda", a tall blonde or red-haired young woman.
Apparently, she was a former beauty queen and model who, depressed over her
inability to conquer a drug habit, slit her own throat in that room. Apparently, she wants
your prayers praying replaces the air of dread with an air of calm and peace and scent
of jasmine, and you can feel her saying "thank you".

San Diego - Villa Montezuma -

On K Street, near Barrio Logan. Built in 1887 for a musician named Jesse Shepherd.

The house has a very dark, heavy feeling. After Jesse Shepherd's death, the house
went through a succession of owner's, all of which claimed bad things happened to
them while in possession of the house. Shepherd had once enjoyed wealth and fame,
but at the end of his life, he was very poor and emotionally unstable. The house is said
to be haunted by Shepherd himself and an elderly widow who previously owned the
house. She is seen looking out of the window in one of the towers. Reason for
Shepherd’s haunting said to be the fact that Shepherd was known for being able to
"channel" famous piano players while playing and was once reported to be playing
Mozart with one hand and Chopin with the other. It is believed that while channeling the
great composers, he channeled some negative energy into the house. Beautiful stained
glass portraying pictures of famous composer, writers, and artists. In some of these,
hair seems to be turning gray and beards seem to be growing. Strong presence is felt,
and reports of seeing scenes the past (1800s some time). It feels like something was
actually looking out the window, through your eyes. It was a very uncomfortable, evil
feeling. There are tours in this place.

San Dimas - Extended Stay Hotel -

The first floor is haunted primarily by the guest who killed himself in room 130. It is said
that a man who was very depressed decided to commit suicide by slitting his wrists
and making his way from the bedroom to the bathroom where he was found by the
maintenance engineer. To moment you enterthe room you are greeted with a presence
of this man. Its almost impossible to sleep in this room although its been renovated
completely. Many guests have asked to move due to having the feeling that someone is
watching. The hotel will rarely rent this room out just to avoid scares.

San Dimas - Raging Waters - Many employees have experienced in park phones ringing

at all hours of the night. Most of the time they come from the Wave Cove attraction. The
line is usually static and upon investigation security guards have found the phone
hanging and swinging as if just dropped. Some guards have reported hearing the voice
of a young girl asking for help. Night guards have also experienced their names being
called while walking through the upper pavilion food court and heard footsteps as if
someone is running up from behind them. Nothing has even been reported being seen
but always audible. Several years ago a small girl drowned in the Wave Cove. This is
believed to be the spirit that makes herself known. -

September 2004 correction: A little girl drowned in the Wave Pool (many others also
did, that is why you cannot go out swimming in it unless you have a tube), and she was
sent to first aide. Where the freezer storage for the lower plaza food area is happens to
be where first aide used to be located. This place is called "The Dungeon". People say
that they have seen a girl in there, and they are afraid to go back there.

San Dimas - Pinnacle Peaks Restaurant -

Waitresses have seen a little girl with long hair who is to believe to be Indian has been
seen walking in the restaurant with customers and also tricks get played on the servers
glasses falling and people being tripped if you go into the restaurant at the bar on the
wall on the west side you will see a old picture of a bunch of cowboys and sometimes
you will see just on huge face in the picture when we see that face we knew we were in
for a fun time with them . The building is very old was know as one of the original
stagecoach stops.

San Dimas - The San Dimas Mansion -

This mansion was built in 1887, as you can see it's very old. There have been reports of
banging on windows, the doorbell ringing by itself, sounds of someone trying to pull
open a locked door, and noises of things sliding across the floor.

San Francisco - Abraham Lincoln High School -

late at night, toilet paper can be heard unraveling in the girl's bathroom by the main
office, also, in the girl's bathroom by the band room, feet can be seen in the stall when
no one else is there and someone whispering "hi". And the room by the cafeteria is
locked and no one is allowed in there because a girl was raped and murdered in that
room.

San Francisco - Alcatraz -

Voices in the former eating area as well as the cell blocks are heard when no one else is
around. Footsteps and the sounds of cell doors opening and closing also echo
throughout the corridors. People have reported feeling "cold spots" in certain areas
and the feeling that they are not alone, even when they are.

San Francisco - Alcatraz - Dinning Hall

Cold spots felt.

San Francisco - Bay Bridge -

While driving on the lower deck at night towards Oakland direction, drivers would hear
knocking on the windows. Some saying that they saw a headless man running next to
their cars at the same speed of the cars. He was believed to be the victim of the 1989
earthquake.

San Francisco - Cameron House -

Located on Sacramento St. in Chinatown, San Francisco. Once owned by Lady
Cameron, the basement of the house was a refuge for Chinese immigrant from lives of
prostitution and slavery, among the obvious discrimination and hell that was once
Chinatown. She sealed the doors in the basement to protect the immigrants from
inspections by the police. If she can't open the doors, they can't inspect and then arrest
and possibly kill the rooms of people. However, the people were able to come in and
out through a secret passageway. Apparently, rumors spread about her philanthropy
and some people came and burned down the house. Everyone in the rooms died. Now,
the restored Cameron House (turned church) sends chills up spines. The basement
doors are still sealed, but every door contains a red charm and a gold charm to seal in
the spirits, as well. Furthermore, the pipes that run along the ceiling run to the end of
the hall forming an "X" over a door with the script: "do not enter." Photographs taken
in the house have shown white figures in the background. Supposedly, these photos
are nonchalantly mingled in with normal ones and kept in photo albums at the site. This
possibly happened around the 1930's or so. It might be the late 1800's or the early
1900s. Most likely early 1900's.

San Francisco - Child Support Services -

In the place, is a woman around 20-30 walking around, moving things. People always
mistake herfor a woman working there. She's always walking around after closing time,
and when the janitors are trying to clean, she's always getting in front of the vacuum.
She doesn't bother people, but she REALLY scares them and always misplaces
workers badges and keys.

San Francisco - Corpus Christi Elementary School Part 2 -

The back room in the Parish Hall. Some say they have seen ghosts walking around and
playing in the room. There are pianos in the room, and some people claim to hear the
pianos playing classical music. They say that people were murdered in the room and
those spirits are the ones haunting the living.

San Francisco - CCS Elementary School -

There is an urban legend of an elderly church-going woman who was murdered by
being pushed from a steep staircase, and whose body was later disposed of in the

nearby dumpster. It is said that when young girls use the bathroom near the staircase,
you can hear her praying. Hail Mary...

San Francisco - Golden Gate Park -

There's a police officer ghost that roams Golden Gate Park. People will get pulled over
and get speeding tickets by this guy, but when they go to file it through the courts
they'll find out that the officer listed doesn't exist. He's been dead for 1 0 years. Anyway,
the story goes that if a cop in the park is trailing you, you need to go outside of the park
first before you pull over. And once you do, the ghost cop will disappear.

San Francisco - Haskell House -

ghost of Senator Broderick pacing back and forth.

San Francisco - James Denman Middle School -

teachers & students have reported to see a dead girl walking up the stairs and haunts
the 2nd floor girls bathroom she closes the door to the stalls and flushes the
toilet. ...they say her name is Elizabeth, people also hear someone moving chains on the
3rd floor

San Francisco - Lucas Film - Formerly Listed as Abandoned Army Hospital - Many
soldiers died and their ghosts still haunt this hospital in Park Presidio. It is fenced off,
but you can find ways either underthe fence or over it. Many windows have been
boarded up but a basement door towards the back of the building is open. Also, many
windows are busted out and it is musty, graffiti-filled, and very spooky. You can hear
footsteps, see reflections of light, and sometimes a cold draft. Even S.F.P.D. will not
enter. - The police patrol the area and it is VERY possible you will get arrested or
ticketed. -

March 2008 update: Was torn down, there are no new reports since being owned by
Lucas Film.

San Francisco - Martin Luther King Middle School -

The place in the school that is haunted is the boys restroom on the second floor by a
boy named Johnny. The story is that he was a bad kid that loved to pick on students
until one day he asked to go to the bathroom and when he didn't come back they sent
someone up there to look. He wasn't there. It is said that if you are alone in the hall you
can hear a knocking on the bathroom door. The teachers keep the bathroom door
locked, and no one is allowed to go in.

San Francisco - Neptune Society Columbarium -

Located at One Loraine Court, San Francisco. Originally part of the Odd Fellows
Cemetery, the Columbarium still stands over Geary Boulevard near Stanyan Street. This
repository of the dead is not only wonderful eye candy, but has been a place of ghostly

June 2008 Update/Additional Information: The Blockbuster Video was demolished last
year and is now a Fuddrucker's restaurant, before Blockbuster Video was on that site,
the land was home to a Beno's department store and a skate park. In the early 1980's, a
young boy broke his neck at the skate park and died from his injuries. This could be
related to the "haunting" of the site.

Modesto - Modesto High School -

The spirit of a young man paces the balcony of the Modesto High Auditorium. There are
also reports of knocking noises heard in the main hallway — where the floor slopes by
the sewing room — that are coming from the tunnels that used to run under the school.

Modesto - Red Lion Hotel (formerly Holiday Inn) -

Sounds of people talking loudly in kitchen when no one is in there. Loud crashing of
plates and trays has also been heard. According to an employee who has been with the
hotel for 27 years a woman was killed in the kitchen by an enraged boyfriend. There are
also rumors of more than one person killing themselves in the kitchen. Also while on in
the parking lot patrol security has heard the sound of breaking glass as near as two
cars away-upon investigation there is no cause for the sound. Rooms 420, 206, and 152
are also all reported by guests and employees to be haunted. Especially in room 152
where all the electrical equipment in the room turns on and off by itself. The room has
been checked many times for electrical problems and none can be found.

Modesto - Vintage Faire Mall -

4 girls said to have been raped and murdered haunt a store in the mall.

Mokelumne Hill - Hotel Leger -

Hotel owned by George Leger in 1880, He met an untimely death, shot in gambling
argument. Anyway odor of fresh cigar smoke is still smelled in his upstairs room.
Owners always happy to give a tour.

Monrovia -Azteca Building -

Supposed noises are heard there, and an apparition of a lady in gray white (not too
clear, on that) is said to haunt the place. This place is located on Foothill Blvd. nearthe
corner of Myrtle.

Monrovia - Clifton Middle School - Band Room -

its been known that a ghost walks the band room late at night while the chorus girls are
getting ready.

Monrovia - Monrovia high school -

janitors and teachers have said that during the night in the second floor of the main

sightings as well. One encounter included a visitor having felt a hand on her back.
When the woman turned around, no one was there. But a eerie white handprint
remained on her blouse. Now a registered city landmark, the Columbarium is open to
the public. Donations are encouraged.

San Francisco - Ocean Beach Sutro Bath -

The sutro baths have quite a history behind them, as well as the tunnel that lies directly
to the right of the old sunken building. It has been said that many people have been
sacrificed at the end of this tunnel, and if you go at night fall and light a candle at the
end of the tunnel someone will come and pick it up and throw it into the water that
rushes up just beyond the rocks.

San Francisco - Orchard Supply Hardware -

There is a story of girl being murdered and raped in the warehouse area of the store 1
yr before it became Orchard. Employees have seen a figure walking and she is heard
footsteps that seem to be the sound of high heels (No one wears high heels),
screaming and laughing, as well as boxes moving. She likes to blow in men's ears and
girls with long hair often feel a slight tug. One report of a worker that had just shrunk
wrapped a pallet. The power went out and there is a 5 sec delay for the generatorto
kick on in that 5 sec something completely unwrapped the pallet.

San Francisco - Paso Robles Hotel -

A 91 1 Operator got a call from Room 1007 in this hotel. When police investigated and
found the room empty, the manager thought the call might have come from the ghost
that haunts the room. The spirit is believed to be deceased night clerk who died when
the former hotel on the site burned down on December 19, 1940. The current hotel was
built with bricks from that hotel. Several of the hotel employees report getting calls from
Room 1 007 at the front desk, but when they investigate, the room is always empty.

San Francisco - Queen Anne Hotel -

Located at the corner of Sutter And Octavia, the Queen Anne Hotel is an elegant
Victorian style hotel, which dates back to the 1890's. With free access to all of the floors
and some of the rooms, it's a great place to perform an investigation. If you want you
can spend a night or so in Miss Mary Lakes Room. Before the hotel even was a hotel, it
was a school for girls since few girls had access to schools back then. Miss Mary Lake
was the teacher. She was dedicated to her work. But when the school was closed
down she was heart broken and as she eventually died. Her spirit remained. Room 410
top floor is where you can find her room.

San Francisco - Richmond's Point Isabel Regional Shoreline park -

A young woman was seen in the area searching the shoreline for something and when
approached faded out.

San Francisco - Safeway -

Located in the middle of San Francisco, SAFEWAY between 17th avenue and Taraval.
There were recent sightings by employees that a young boy was sighted in the empty
hallways leading to the storage room. The time was around 12:00 am closing time. The
employees, even a customer, saw a young male at the age around 7-10 walking slowly
towards them, but from a distance. One of the employees claimed to see the young
spirit sitting beside some crates with his head down, and his arms covering his knees.
The customer simply believed that he saw someone standing on the corner at the end
of the hallway facing against the wall. He wanted to use the nearby restroom before he
saw the figure. All visions of his spirit were blurry because they said that there was lack
of lighting inside the location. Rumors are that the building was once a motel in the mid
1900s until it was burnt down because the owner had money problems with local gang
members; however, the presence of the young boy is still a mystery.

San Francisco - San Francisco Arts Institute -

Supposedly built on a cemetery in the early 1900 after an earthquake, it is haunted by a
few restless spirits.

San Francisco - San Remo Hotel -

The Hotel was reportedly a brothel owned by a Madame. She reportedly haunts room
33. She has been known to knock on doors of the hallway the room is in, and when
people open the doors after repeated knocks, no one is around. There is also reports of
a little girl roaming the hallways and trying to get into room #42. It is actually an amazing
hotel, and a great place to stay in with large groups of people (cheap too). There are
always cold spots to be felt, and the sense of someone watching, it's a calming feeling,
not creepy at all!

San Francisco - School of the Arts High School - former site of MacAteer H.S. -

singing can be heard in the 3rd floor bathroom when no one is around. Also on the 3rd
floor, knocking on the lockers and from inside locked classrooms can be heard.

San Francisco - Strawberry Hill - Stowe Lake Golden Gate Park -

It has been said that in the 1920's or 30's a woman became pregnant & hide the
pregnancy from her family. She disposed of the child and killed her self in the reservoir.
At night if you're at Stowe Lake you may see her walking around Strawberry Hill looking
for her baby.

San Francisco - The Mansions Hotel-

The ghost of the original owner's daughter, Claudia, can be seen and heard by staff and
guests. She has also been known to communicate to "yes" and "no" answers.

San Francisco - Trinity Episcopal Church -

Reports a gray figure coming out of the men's bathroom and disappearthrough the
wall on the other side of the hall. Also experienced, strange drafts, 3 directional;
shadow of a person, and an apparition in a white suite.

San Francisco - USCF Medical Center -

Intensive Care Nursery haunted by women that have died in childbirth. Many children
haunt Pediatric. 8th floor was so bad it had to be exorcised.

San Francisco - Washington High School -

It has been said that the boy's 3rd floor restroom, is haunted. At night, or at later hours
after school (when not as many people are around), people have reported seeing a
figure standing by one of the stalls then vanish.

San Gabriel - Gabrielino High School -

Less than 2 miles away from the San Gabriel Mission which houses a historical
cemetery, it is rumored that the Gabrielino Site was built on a cemetery of the very same
tribe of Indians from which it gets its name. There have been reports from sports teams
coming home from away games at night hearing strange sounds such as children
crying even when the campus is empty and the hazy apparition of a body that appears
down hallways only to disappear when approached.

San Gabriel - Red Cross Mansion -

have been known to close doors softly if people leave them open, almost politely,
sometimes you can hear soft voices whispering as if to not disturb anyone. Phone calls
are made from rooms that are not occupied, including the underground tunnel, the
basement and the attic. Kitchen has electricity go on and off for no reason. It is thought
that the spirits are of servants who have passed on. Face of man has been seen in
some windows after the last people leave.

San Gabriel - San Gabriel Civic Auditorium -

The San Gabriel Civic Auditorium s past is very long and there are many stories of
hauntings. Back was being built underground tunnels were built under the length of the
building. They were built so that the owner (nicknamed Uncle John) could go from
backstage to the foyer. When Uncle John died the tunnels went unused for years and
when the depression came those tunnels were used as catacombs to house dead
bodies. Once they were filled the catacombs were sealed. In the men s restroom in the
front there is a door. When you open that door there is just a brick wall. When a crew
tried to breach the wall they got five feet and there was still brick. Why would some one
seal a tunnel in more than five feet of brick? No one will ever know unless the try to
breach it again. Now to the stories. There is a drop that was preserved because it was
the only remaining drop from the original stage. Some times during the Temple City
High School musical that drop swings unintentionally. There is no wind and no one

ever touched that drop. A psychic was brought in and they said they saw a man swing
on the drop. Another story is that there are TV monitors on stage left that broadcast
what is being shown on stage. In 2003 and there during the Music Man there was a
person seen in the second story window on one of the houses. Many stage crew, tech
crew, and actors saw this man on the TV monitor. Also many of the audience saw this
man too. The problem with this is that there is no way for a man to be standing in the
second story window because there is no ledge or anything for him to stand on. The
man was later recognized as Uncle John. There are also stories of a little girl who
roams the halls and a old stage manager who roams the halls at night.

San Gabriel - San Gabriel High School -

A young student hung himself at the basketball courts. And 2 students died at the wash
at the time of EL Nino Storm trying to skip school that day.

San Gabriel - San Gabriel Mission High School -

Bathroom towel dispensers are heard being used and a girl is seeing dangling that had
hung her self off of the library balcony.

San Gabriel - San Gabriel Mission -

In the old church, very often it will suddenly get very cold, you can "sense" something
there but when you look around there is nothing, for such a beautiful historic church
the feeling of foreboding is amazing.

San Jacinto - Lauis's Pet Store - Feathers and Fur-

Sounds and sightings. Shadows that appear in several different places and then
disappearing. An occasional voice that sounds like somebody whispering. Also
sighted, an old guy with a military type of uniform on who staggers through the
walkways and seems to appear under certain situations usually at night.

San Jacinto - Vosburg Cafe/Hotel -

Its been abandoned for many years now and has been boarded up but there have been
reports of lights flickering on and off and a "presence" of some sort.

San Jose - AMC Saratoga 14 -

Poltergeist/Presence very strong in this 14 screen multiplex. House Lights flicker on &
off, muffled laughter/whispers, also arm rests lower & raise themselves up of their own
accord, especially in theatre 5. Also Workers report in the projection booth a shadowy
figure can be glimpsed, & lurks around projector number 5.

San Jose - Arbuckle Elementary -

A boy was brutally murdered in the late 70s. He was stabbed many times in the back.

People say when he they pass by it at night they can see him with the knife in his back.
San Jose - Boys and Girls club -

in the gym there has been people bouncing the ball were a man named Henry died wile
building the gym.

San Jose - Burnett Academy Middle School -

there's a door in the girls locker room that leads to a classroom up stairs. A long time
ago a girl was running up the stairs and she tripped and she died, it is said that when
you are in the girls locker room at nigh you can hear things coming from the stair well
like someone falling, it has mostly been heard by cheerleaders after a basketball game

San Jose - Chuck-e-Cheese -

haunted by a little girl on the third floor

San Jose - Del Mar High School -

in 1942 a boy was murdered by his best friend many people say At approx. 3:15am it is
said that you can hear a boy screaming help in the football field where he was
murdered, some people say you can even see him running down the bleachers.

San Jose - Dotties Pond / Bernal -

A little girl went to a party she got mad at her parents. She hung her parents in the barn.
She then drowned herself in the pond so they could be together in heaven. Some
people say that at night they can hear her scream for help because she didn't really
want to die.

San Jose - Dove Hill Elementary School -

It is said that at night, a boy with a name tag that says "Michael T." appears. He is said
to wear regular clothes and seems like a child. But his face is sad to be missing. Just
flat skin. Teachers who work late usually say they see him at night walking on the
basketball courts. One teacher noted that she approached him to ask him why he was
here so late. She ran and called another teacher when this ghost turned around and
appeared to have no face. A group of boys have also said that they say lights in the
classrooms turn on and off, while they were at the school late at night. There have been
no records of any students dying at this school. However, people still talk about this
mysterious ghost who hangs out at the basketball courts named, "Michael T."

San Jose - El Rancho Verde Apts. -

Legend has it, that in the early 70's a well known maintenance employee raped and
killed two young high school girls in the apartments main garbage. K is said that when
passing by, late at night, you could hear a distant torturous cry of a girl. Residents of

the area are still spooked by the chills you get when passing through this area.

San Jose - Evergreen Valley College -

it was said that in the middle of the school a young lady hung herself there, and
sometimes at night when people get out of their night classes, people see her.

San Jose - Foxdale Apartments -

at these apartments there have been sightings of ghosts. It is said that these
apartments were build on top of an old cemetery and that there were still some graves,
at one apartment a young woman hung herself because her family left her. there have
been sightings of her after her death.

San Jose - Happy Hollow park -

The Creek behind the baby zoo at the Happy hallow park, is haunted by a lady wearing
a short red dress with a black belt and long black hair, she is believed to have been
murdered there in the 70's.

San Jose - Independence High School - In the large theater there is a presence named
"George". Legend has it he fell off one of the catwalks while working. Now his spirit
haunts the theater. Lights switch on and off during presentations done for students,
seats pull down and come up when no one is sitting next to you, and if alone in the
theater practicing fora show, "George" loves to play lighting tricks on you. Fact is no
one has ever died in that theatre. No Janitors are ever allowed to go up there nor do
they have reason too. The history however, behind George is he has been ever present
since the has been built. No one really knows where he comes from or what the history
of the land is or anything. ..though there is a basic story that does float around. So far
our George has three figures. ..The first being there was the business like man figure
that was standing up against the wall. The second time George appeared, it was to the
actors - [techs never saw him that night] however actors kept complaining about a little
boy running around backstage trying to catch his toy ball. The last sighting that has
happened was about a year ago witnessed by 2 people who where alone in the
building. It was of a very large man and he sat down and filled up the aisle of the house
...which is about 2 and 1/2 to 3 feet wide. A week later after seeing this one of the
witnesses was in the lighting booth, and reports, ”My friend and I were coming down
the stairs of the lighting booth to go talk to our teacher, who was atthe other end of the
building...no where near the stage or house [ where the audience sits], as we got half
way down the whole booth started shaking violently. Us thinking it was an earthquake
ran and got the heck out of there. We went to our teachers office, which is located in the
same building, and asked her if she felt an earthquake or anything. She looked at us and
said, "No, what are you talking about?" Since then. ..George has managed to become
more violent here and there. ..he never harms anyone. ..however he still continues to play
his usual tricks.”

San Jose - Notre Dame HS -

A nun years back hung herself off the balcony because she was pregnant. It is now
said to be haunted. Also the gym which is no longer in use has been reported to have
ghosts.

San Jose - old horse stables

It is said that the old owner of the stables haunts the old barns. These stables are
located behind Yearba Buena HS. Many teens go to the old barns at night for a scare.
They have reported voices and a ghostly figure of a man.

San Jose - Overfelt High School -

There have been sightings of a janitor that pass in early 80s. Students say they hear his
cart being pushed around during nighttime.

San Jose - Piedmont Hills High School -

Spotted a girl in the hallway. Her parents died in a car crash and she was left in the
school where she hung herself. Now is said that she walks around the halls opening
and closing doors and also seen when walking alone.

San Jose - San Jose State University (1 857) -

The old gym was used as a collection area for Japanese internees during WWII. Voices
and crying can be heard here at night.

San Jose - Silver Creek high school -

A young ghost Named Amy haunts the theatre of the high school. It is said she hung
her self inside one of the bathrooms behind the stage.

San Jose - Slonaker Elementary School -

it is said that many witnesses have heard the sound of children playing while students
are in class. There was a child run over killed by his uncle.

San Jose - Winchester House -

It is a house that was owned Sarah Winchester. It is believed to be haunted by Sarah
and the spirits of those who were killed by Winchester's guns. Cold spots felt, an
impression of someone lying in Sarah's bed, apparitions, rocking chairs rocking, being
pushed by unseen hands, disembodied talking & laughing.

San Juan Capistrano - Old Town San Jaun/Train T racks - Train Caboose 1869 -

This is a red caboose located in the parking lot to the right. It is a part of a restaurant
made out of an old train set. The second window from the right, there is a faint light
seen peering through the window, late at night. There are no other lights on in the
empty caboose. If there were a light on in the caboose, the other windows would

appear to have the same glow.

San Juan Capistrano - Old Town San Jaun / T rain T racks -Woman in White.

Seen in park setting near a lone drinking fountain. It has been a personal experience of
mine to see her kneeling and praying facing the fountain. She then rises slowly and
advances towards you with a sense of urgency, flowing like a white handkerchief in the
wind, even when there is no wind. She then dissipates.

San Juan Capistrano - San Juan Capistrano Mission -

Reports of an Indian girl seen by some at her memorial. Also spotted shadows of
people and heard children crying in the cemetery where a surprisingly large number of
people were buried in a surprisingly small space.

San Lorenzo - San Lorenzo High School - D-Hall -

It has been reported by many janitors and teachers that a little girl walks up and down
D-Hall and the classes in it with her doll at hand. Some also say she moves vending
machines, tosses chairs and desks. The story goes like this: Supposedly before the
school was built it was an old cherry field, and the girls father worked there. One day
she was playing in the fields and fell asleep while her father was working. The father
then got in a tractor and started mowing the fields. He ran her over and killed her
without noticing that the cherry stains on the tractor was actually blood. He later looked
for her and found her dead cut up where D-Hall is now.

San Luis Obisbo - Oceano - Black Lake -

Reports of an Old Spanish lady in a Black ruffled dress that walks around the lake at
night. Witnesses report she has no face just a white glowing light.

San Luis Obispo - Paso Robles - Adelaide Cemetery - Look for "Charlotte's Grave" and
every Friday night (between 10-12 pm) there is a woman ghost who comes to lay
flowers on her dead daughter's grave (Charlotte) She has been seen as a bright white
light, & witnesses have seen a white human like figure nearthe gates to the cemetery.

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hallway you always feel like your being watched and it sounds like someone is
sneaking up behind when you are alone.

Montebello - AMC Montebello 10 Theatres -

This theatre is haunted by a spirit who was stabbed and later died when the theatre first
opened. Most of the activity occurs around theatres 8 and 9. Theatre 9 is always eerily
cold, even with the heaters on. Upstairs in the projection booth above #9, lights turned
off by employees sometimes mysteriously come back on. tt is also said you can see a
figure's shadow when movies are on against the wall in theatre #6.

Montebello - Bluff Road -

Nearthe intersection of Washington and Bluff Road, at the site of the Battle of the Rio
San Gabriel that took place in 1847. Spanish soldiers have been seen walking around
and sometimes follow passers-by.

Montebello - Cantwell High School -

while working on the second floor of the main building for homecoming week, fellow
students were working late on decorations with a teacher, the intercom makes three
beeping sounds to let the room know that a message is going to be relayed through the
front office, the three beeping sounds were made and know one was working the front
office, the students heard whispering noises and went downstairs to check it out. one
of them saw a balloon in the middle of the hall and popped it. right when she popped it
the lights went out and screaming was going off all overthe place.

Montebello - DoubleTree Hotel -

If you turn off the lights in the room before going to sleep, you may find the lights back
on in the middle of the night when you wake up to use the restroom.

Montebello - Montebello Parks and Recreation Office -

Anytime of the day or night, you can hear footsteps and voices coming from the
hallways and men's restroom. Many employees claim when they are working at the
office late into the evening, they hear voices and footsteps, the problem is that they are
the only ones at the office. Park Rangers have reported hearing voices coming from the
men's restroom. The source of the haunting has not been determined, but two parks
and recreation employees have passed away in the last 10 years. The office was once
home to a doctors office. Do not attempt to trespass, you will be arrested.

Montebello - Rosemead - Whittier Narrows Park -

The figure of a Spanish conquistador on horseback can be seen occasionally around
the intersection of San Gabriel Blvd and Lincoln Ave. It is said he drowned here looking
for his gold buried near the river's beach. Mysterious fogs roll in and out here a lot as
well.

Montebello - Temple B'Nai Emet -

The halls of this building are virtually covered by darkness for most of the time during
services. Three children have been known to cross the hallways from one doorto
another that are completely adjacent to each other. It was once said that three children
were taken into a restroom stall by their father, and each were killed by slitting their
throats because their father was extremely sorrowful over the death of his wife, and
murdered his children to eliminate his memory of his love.

Monterey - California's first theater-

originally built as a boarding house for whalers in the early 18th century, it was
converted into a theater, the only theater in California long before we became a state, is
said to be haunted by the ghost of JACK SWAN, his voice can be heard calling down
from the attic where all the costumes and props are kept, the voice has an electro
magnetic effect as if it were on an intercom or crackling speaker system, loud enough
to startle several troupers, ushers, bartenders, etc. ..they say it is JACK SWAN who built
the old wooden pews in the 19th century, he wants to compliment all the actors on what
a fine job they did with the show! they were really whooping it up or something.

Monterey - Robert Luis Stevenson House -

The Lady in Black haunts the second floor of this boarding house where famous writer
Robert Luis Stevenson lodged during his stay in Monterey. The Lady in Black is
supposedly the proprietor of the establishment and haunts the nursery where her
grandchildren died of cholera.

Monterey County - San Lucas - Salinas River -

Every Halloween night there is a new report of the crying woman. She is mistaken as La
Llarona. Each year the kids go on dares to walk the river past the bend. One year, the
kid never came back. One year the first girl ever to do it was actually helped by the
ghost. She was walking too close to the edge when the ghost pushed her away. If she
would have fallen it was a 50-foot drop in about 2 feet of water.

Moorpark - Gravity Hill -

after the road dips down a small hill, if you stop and put your car in neutral at the
bottom of the hill, your car will slowly drift backwards uphill! It's supposedly because
ghost of children killed there in a wagon accident are pushing your car.

Moreno Valley - Nason Street -

Years ago, a bus occupied with children supposedly broke down and was hit by a large
diesel truck, pushing them overthe freeway overpass. There were no survivors. It is
now said that when a car visits this site, when shut off and put in neutral, the spirits of
the deceased children will push the car UP over the overpass. This only works when
going South. In addition, baby powder sprinkled/poured on the back of the vehicle will

allow handprints and footprints of the children to be visible. Sometimes laughter and
footsteps can be heard late at night.

Moreno Valley - Old Hospital/Elementary School -

In Moreno Valley, off of Nason, there is the old hospital. When the new hospital was
built, the old one was turned into a small school for only the lower grades. The story
goes that a deranged man came into the school with a gun where he took the students
and teachers hostage. In the back, there is 2 sheds, one big and one small. It is said that
he took his hostages here and killed many of them and then turned the gun on himself.
The old school is now closed and many have been inside since. Inside, people have
said they see figures of children and hear the cries.

Moreno Valley - Priest Hill -

if you put your car in neutral on 'Priest Hill' the priest who had broke down on the road,
he will push your car up the hill, with yourfoot not on the pedal, if you put flour on the
back of your car, you will see the handprints.

Morro Bay - Morro Bay High School -

have been reports of strange occurrences in both the "old" gym and "new gym" lights
turning on and off, cold spots, etc. supposedly a young boy died while falling off the
bleachers in the old gym and is said to haunt it.

Morro Bay - Pirate Ship Playground -

Reports of two boys playing on the pirate ship in the playground late at night.

Moss Beach - The Moss Beach Distillery -

Unusually shaped building is the current home of the "Blue Lady". Building used to be
a speak- easy during the prohibition. A woman who worked at the establishment was
married to a seaman, but had an affair with a piano player. When the husband returned
from Alaska and found out, he then murdered her on the beach below. The Blue Lady is
a friendly and mischievous spirit.

Mount Baldy - Ski Lifts -

has a ghost of a man wearing all white. He seems to be from back in the mining days.

He is wearing a white suit, with a white hat. He has a mustache as well.

Montebello - Montebello high school -

back in the late 80's a woman was hung in the c building. Now if you walk by C building
late at night it is said that you can hear a woman struggling. In the auditorium when the
lights are turned off and you are by yourself you can hear people laughing at you and
hear mysterious footsteps.

Mountain View - Moffett Field -

There are several building on the old Naval Base that are reported to be haunted. One is
the old infirmary, which was built in the 1930's. When the base was still operated by the
Navy, Security Police Officers would check the building at night and reported seeing a
little girl dressed in old style clothing inside staring at them.

Murrieta - French Valley - Boston Scientific Company -

Witnesses report a ghost of a young girl around the office area between the cubicles.
There are no kids allowed or anyone allowed in those spaces would have to officially
check in the front office area. Also, in the woman's restroom next to the lunchroom,
people have sighted the faucet turning on and off on it's own. If you are there alone in
the restroom, you can hear in the last stall someone unrolling the toilet paper. In the
clean room, items coming out of the bio machine have been thrown straight across the
room and you can also feel someone blowing in your ear.

Murrieta - KEA Milling - March 2005 Update/Correction: This has been boarded up due
to vandalism. It is also belived this is turning into an urben legend. There is no proof of
any certain trauma at this this place. -

All the windows and doors on ground level are cemented up, so you cannot enterthe
building, and there are no stairs inside. On some nights you can see a girl about 15-
18yrs old sitting on the ledge of the middle top window wearing a light blue dress. If you
look up at her a feeling of sadness comes over you and your eyes get a little teary.

Murrieta - Murrieta Valley High school -

Apparitions of kids and equipment moves.

Napa - The Napa Cinadome -

is said to be haunted by two ghosts that look like a couple. There is one spat in the last
theater room in the building that gets cold enough to shed ice aver your coke, when
you sit there you also feel like someone is watching you

Nevada City - The National Hotel -

Apparent hauntings occur here. Built in the late 1800's the building was restored
recently with the exception of the left wing. Lights flicker, cold spots and creepy feeling
in this wing of the building. The hotel has hosted miners and tourists who come looking
for hauntings.

Newberry Park - Stage Coach Inn -

The Stagecoach Inn is an original stage stop and hotel. Pierre was killed in the original
Inn. When the Inn burned to the ground in 1969, or so, it was re-built in another location
using the original blueprints. It seems Pierre moved with the Inn. Pierre's room is colder

Shadowlands Haunted Places Index -California3

theshadowlands.net

Warning

Any places listed in the Haunted
Places requires permission to visit or
investigate. Many of the places are patrolled by the authorities, trespassers will be

prosecuted.

San Marcos - Harmony Grove/Elfin Forest Heavily Guarded - NO TRESSPASSING -

Once to be an insane asylum. Reports of seeing a white apparition accompanied with
laughing. Apparitions of Native American bodies hanging from trees. There is also
believed to be a circle of stones and if you walk through them time lapses.

San Marcos -Questhaven -

The ghosts of former inhabitants have been spotted on the grounds.

San Miguel - San Miguel Mission -

It has been said and even that a woman, 2 men and 2 children haunt the chapel of the
mission. Apparently they went there to hide from men who were drunk and attempting
to rob and murderthem. Unfortunately they did not get away, and were indeed
murdered. They have been said to relive the incident often.

San Miguel - San Miguel Mission - Adobe Compound -

Purchased from the Mexican government by John Reed, the adobe compound was
turned into an inn. In 1848, a gang of English pirates raided the inn due to a rumorthat a
treasure was buried on the property. When the raid was complete, 13 people were killed
including reed, his family, and other guests staying at the inn. The treasure was never
found, their ghosts are said to haunt the property.

San Rafael - Dominican University -

There is a ghost dubbed 'blue boy' who supposedly drowned in a bathtub. Some
students say they have seen wet footprints near the site of haunting.

Sanger - Acacia St. -

In the mid 1900s a young orphan boy was caught trying to steal a pie cooling on the

perfect for skateboarding. It was said to be that a young boy anxious to skate down one
of these hills called Maricopa. While skating down this steep hill without a helmet, he fell
face first and tore up his face and arms and knees. To this day on some nights you can
still see a small boy with a skateboard in his hand and his face and arms all scraped up.
Many people have seen this mysterious boy still skating down all the hills. As soon as
you start walking over to help him or see if he is real, he skates away at a seemingly
impossible speed neverto be seen again that night.

Simi Valley - Jons Market on Tapo Canyon. -

Witnesses have seen the spirit of a man wearing black pants, black tie, and a white
shirt, also he says things just suddenly fall off the shelves not every thing but only one
item. The shelves are not crooked or anything or else everything would fall off.

Simi Valley - Simi Elementary -

Some years ago the janitorof the school hung himself in the janitors closet. To this day
you can see lights flickering in the closet when you are near it. You can also sometimes
see the janitor running around in the field at the school or just standing there
somewhere. It has been seen by some people in the middle of the soccer goal on the far
side of the field.

Simi Valley - Simi Hills Golf Course - Abandon barn were 3 people were killed. Street
closed off. Said that a mom, her son and her daughter lived there and the son went
crazy and killed them both and then killed him self on a chair. They say the chair is still
there and they say that you can still see him sitting in his chair with his gun. - February
2004 Update: they are currently building now over there and they have demolished the
barn itself, its gone. -

May 2004 Update: the old barn was torn down over the summer of 2003, There have
also been reports of orbs(balls of light) sighted in the areas around the inside of the
barn where the murders took place. Also the old oak tree in front is now gone so there
really isn’t much place to be able to tell if the ghosts are still there, but the barn just got
relocated, not demolished, there is no information on where it was relocated.

Simi Valley - St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church -

It is supposedly haunted by a man that was murdered there and also by a woman.
Perfume can be smelled in parts of the Inn (which is now a museum Open to the public)
and people have reported seeing "a tall stranger" in the corner of their eyes, but turn
around to see no one.

Simi Valley - Sycamore Park -

at night, there is a figure that comes around every once and a while. This figure is white,
and appears to be furry. This figure also seems to run on all fours, like a gorilla. There
have been several eyewitnesses who have seen this running figure. This figure runs

fast, and is almost like a sudden flash of light. There have also been sightings of
floating apparitions that have flown from tree to tree at the blink of the eye. Many other
people have said to see a white man sitting on rocks staring at you, then stands up
after "he" sees you there. There have also been sightings of glowing spots in the grass.
And when you walk into them, you seem to vanish from sight. Here are some links that
you may be interested in http://www. sebar.com/haunted

Scotia - Scotia Inn -

A small town in California named Scotia, there are a lot of hauntings. Particularly in the
Scotia Inn. There are many sightings of many ghosts, but ask the front desk person for
the most famous of them all, and you will get the answer.. "Frank". Frank is on the top
story in one room. There are many sounds, feet scraps, voices, ect. Frank is a friendly
ghost, and some times will bounce a basket ball to you, if you bounce it to him. Another
story is of a woman, and her children. A little child was playing with her ball one bright
day when her ball fell off the balcony, as did the child. It is said the mother and girl
haunt the room the little girl fell off of. There is yet another story of a baby crying. There
are many other ghosts in the Inn. ...just as the people that work there.

Soledad - Los Coches Inn -

People have claimed you can sometimes hear the screams of miners coming from the
abandoned well. There have also been eye witness accounts of an eccentric looking
lady, wearing black, roaming the inn grounds.

Sonoma - Mountain Cemetery -

This old cemetery has the atmosphere of a horror movie as years of neglect leave the
antique tombstones and Mausoleums in ruins. A single grave out of the way of the rest
has a single name of "Lise" written on it. Teenagers who have come to the cemetery in
a macabre curiosity report a sense of extreme dread, as well as a sighting of wraithlike
spirits. Outside of the gated regions of the Cemetery in a woods-like area can be found
dilapidated and broken graves. This "Abandoned" area has had sightings of strange
lights, foul smells, and an overpowering sense of fear over it. As well as unaccountable
cold spots.

Sonoma - Sebastianni Theatre -

This old theatre houses the spirit of a young girl aged anywhere from 10 to 20 she
wears a yellow dress from the eras of the thirties. The workers at the theatre call her
T rixie, She tends to be seen in the women's washroom in the mirror standing behind a
person when they are alone there, but when they turn around she is gone.. The
dressing room's lights tend to turn on and off of their own accord to the sounds of a
girl's laughter.

Sonoma - Sonoma State Hospital -

this hospital forthe mentally disabled once was an insane asylum which had
mistreated the patients. Nowadays the main building of the State Hospital by night has
the foreboding presence of this torture. Sounds of screams are heard through the
night. And large looming shadows of people walking outside can be seen when no one
is about. The fields near the hospital have sightings of "demonic beasts" as well as a
mysterious hitchhiking woman in white.

Sonoma - Santa Rosa - Roseland Air Field -

Many of the business in the area report seeing unexplainable dark shadows on the
walls, seeming to appearfrom out of nowhere. Many of the locals credit the existence of
the shadows to the fatalities that occurred at the airport in the 1940's.

South Gate - South Gate High School -

In 1968 a young man died in the Hahn auditorium. Student's have heard footsteps and
have felt cold spots.

Southgate - Stanford Elementary -

there's was a white little girl with green eyes that got killed by her boyfriend, apparently
he was a gang member, it says that her spirit follows around the school, and you can
hear her cried at times in the night.

South Los Angeles - Kmart #7625 -

There are reports of ghostly happenings in the stock rooms of this former Zody's. It is
believed that a double murder/suicide took place somewhere in the upstairs stockroom.
Apparently, a couple worked together for Zody's and the boyfriend caught his girlfriend
in a compromising situation with another male employee. The enraged boyfriend
located a box cutter and slashed the two to death. He then slashed his own wrists and
carotid artery. After several reports from employees of unusual activity, Kmart
headquarters in Michigan has admitted to hiring paranormal/paraphysical investigators
to conduct investigations into the incident. The conclusion was that indeed the building
was occupied by several spirits. The investigators concluded that four different spirits
dwell throughout the building. The fourth has not been linked to any known incident
that may have occurred and thus is unknown for its presence. Kmart has remained
quiet on the findings of this investigation and resources revealed that employees of this
store are not advised of this activity. Prior to changing over to Kmart, Zody's employees
reported seeing a man walking about in the stockroom. A woman is also seen running
and sometimes screams are heard. In one case, an overnight employee sustained a 7
inch laceration while working in the stockroom. Zody's management insisted that the
incident was just an accident caused by falling boxes that were stacked too high, but
resources close to the victim tell another tale. A paring knife mysteriously came across
the room and cut the employee across the chest. No one was seen in the area. The
victim survived his wounds, but obviously resigned from the company. Sightings and
sounds have been reported throughout the years, but no one else has been physically

attacked since.

South Pasadena - Penthouse Apartments -

The ghost of a WWII soldier is still trying to get a message to his son.

South Pasadena - The Rialto Theater -

The Rialto Theater is VERY old, possibly 70 years old. Many people have died there. In
the bathroom a girl slit her wrists and climbed up to the balcony and bled to death in the
seats. K is also said that a man went crazy in the projector booth. The doors to the stalls
in the girl's bathroom shake. An apparition of an older man has been seen sitting in the
seats. The older man has also been seen walking up and down the balcony stairs.

Southeast San Diego County - Highway 94. -

strange lights on the road. They appear to be spherical and emanate an "electric blue"
like light. Sometimes there is only one and at othertimes they are in pairs.

Spreckles - old sugar beat storage silos -

usually later at night a ghost can be heard singing and often screaming the source is
not known any history on this would greatly help. It sounds like it most coming from an
old brick warehouse that has been derelict for a long time

Springville - Scicon, School of Conservation -

Reports of lights flickering and a rotting smell, children have been woken by floating
lights. In another dwelling there are reports of a running ghost, doorknobs turn,
footsteps heard, and an apparition of a man walking up a hill.

Springville - The Springville Inn -

Is said to be haunted by the ghosts of a little girl, the history of her unknown. A young
logger man who was reported as being quite a ladies man was shot for flirting with the
wife of another man. He was shot in the street in front of the inn and carried into the inn
where he died from the bullet wound. There is also the ghost an old man that haunts
the inn but his history is also not known. People have reported feeling being watched
as they walk to the bathroom in the restaurant bar area. One employee reported
receiving a phone call from the manager's office when the manager was not in the
restaurant. One visitor to the restaurant/bar reported what she describes as a child with
extremely cold hands grabbing hold of her hand as she walked to the ladies room.
Another customerfelt a cold touch on her shoulder and her back as she waited for
drinks up at the bar. So far none of the ghosts have been photographed.

San Bernardino - California Theatre -

Will Rogers made his last performance at the California Theatre, he died in a plane

crash a few days later. It is said that he haunts a practice room in the theatre. It is
continually cold in this room and sometimes you can see him in the room's small
window.

Stanton - Stanton Industrial Complex -

The haunting is subject to not only one place. There is not just one ghost there are
many due to a portal. The poltergeist has ripped the metal foiling on the ceiling,
punched a hole in one of the pictures in the of the units. It has also attack people by
throwing plastic sheeting at a person. It has also attacked a lady in one of the units by
throwing knifes that she had on the wall at her. Another thing that happens to her was
that when she came in one morning she found her grandpa and grandma dolls
mutilated. In same unit before the lady moved in there where sounds of a radio playing
and sawing going on even though no one even rented it yet. Another accident was
when a tenant's television flew off the wall and broke. Other happenings of televisions
going on and off by themselves. Most recently a tenant opened a cabinet a glass cup
flew out and shattered. Some of the time the poltergeist pulls on clothes.

Stevenson Ranch - Mettryville -

Was once a little town located in the mountains. In the late 1800s a local dam broke and
killed a lot of people from all over. A lot of people were found in the tall, old oak tress
dead. You can see people dressed in very old western clothing, people in the oak tress,
and you can hear people talking.

Stockton - County Courthouse -

At night in the underground area where the holding cells are (where the inmates are
kept waiting for their court appearances), at night shouting can be heard when the
place is empty. The night guard also reports hearing the holding cell door on the
second floor slamming closed, also when no one is there.

Stockton - University of California Stanislaus College - January 2007 Correction:
Formerly submitted as San Joaquin College -

it was an old mental hospital on California Street. The Magnolia street entrance is for
educational purposes forthe severely learning impaired in down town Stockton that
has been turned into a college located on a parcel of land between pacific avenue and
Pershing Avenue. The students have told of hearing voices, when there is no one
around, hearing footsteps and no one is coming, and other strange situations, such as
chairs moving on their own and rooms that get very cold Extremely fast.

Stockton - Eight mile road -

On the east side of highway 99. At night alone drivers will see women dressed all in
white standing on the side of the road and sometimes the same women will be seen
through the rear view mirror seating in the back seat of your car. Also in the same area

and the streets that cross it during the day a young Indian girl with lots jewelry has
been seen walking on just of the road and then disappearing.

Stratford - Haunted Trees -

On King Avenue between 18th and 17th avenue there are a group of trees that are
isolated by a canal. Long time ago, the farmer that used to farm out there had a awful
accident, the farmer was disking the ground and he fell off the tractor and got chopped
up by the disc. To this day if anyone goes into those trees at night, you hear sounds of
footsteps behind you and branches start breaking by themselves.

Summerland - Big Yellow House Restaurant -

This restaurant is believed to be haunted by a ghostly lady. People have claimed to see
a lonely looking woman standing around by herself. When they attempt to get a closer
look, she disappears. Money has also been known to disappear from tables.

Sun Valley - DWP, Valley Generating Station -

The old power plant was de-commissioned as of 2004. But when it was operational
there had been numerous sightings of a figure on the second deck of the old power
plant. Station Operators, at night, have seen a person wandering by one of the electrical
rooms; when followed they disappear into walls or through locked doors. Also, on the
second and lower decks, a feeling of being watched or a person behind, when do one
else is around. Furthermore, A former employee received six death sentences and he
currently serves his time at San Quentin as one of the two "Sunset Strip Slayers". It is
speculated that he might have started his killing spree while still employed at the power
plant.

Sun Valley - Roscoe blvd -

voices have been heard and a mysterious man lurks the hall and children's room. He's
not malevolent unless you're over 12 years old.

Sunnyvale - Bishop Elementary School -

The ghost of Mr. Bishop the school's namesake is said the walk the halls and
auditorium of the school.

Sunnyvale - Homestead High School -

is said to have a ghost walking the halls on the second floor.. It's been known to lock
doors, open doors and it's presence can be felt. People have also said that they've
seen it, and one teacher claims that the ghost tapped him on his shoulder. One parent
attending an orientation, felt a strong negative presence, as if it were saying, “Go home
please." They apologized out loud for intruding and left.

Sunnyvale - Quality Inn Suites -

There have been many reports of one of the rooms in this hotel being haunted by a
man. He apparently died there of a heart attack. Guests will often complain of noises
coming from the unoccupied, haunted room. Apparitions seen.

Sunnyvale - Toys R Us -

Toys R Us is haunted supposedly by a young boy or man, believed to be Jonny
Jonson (pronounced Yonny Yonson), a farm worker. . Employees report finding toys in
aisles when opening up the store in the morning, and balls rolling down aisles when
nobody else is around, and bicycles being ridden around at night. There also have
been pictures taken of this ghost.

Sutter Creek - The Sutter Creek Inn -

is haunted by a former California senator and his wife. The Senator is heard pacing
upstairs in the main house and his wife is sometimes seen in the hallway.

Sylmar - Lopez Canyon - Glen Haven Memorial Park -

There is an alleged gravity hill and there is a statue next to the mortuary building that
walks around at night.

Tehachapi - La Paz - UFW headquarters/children's hospital -

the swings swing of their own accord. There is blood in the bathrooms of the old
hospital section (it was once a children's hospital). The feeling of death and what it has
left behind is inundating. ..and you can hear voices, walking past a doorthat is shut off
to the back building that is unused, a witness heard a banging on the door. The
doorknob turned.

Tehachapi - Wells Elementary School -

Janitors report feelings of being watched, and hearing footsteps Late at night,
especially near a small memorial.

Temecula - McDonalds -

In the women's restroom a customer saw an old Indian women in the mirror behind her.
As she stepped aside, the Indian women pushed her on the shoulder lightly. When she
turned to face the women, she heard laughter and the Indian women disappeared. She
told one of the employee's and they said they heard similar stories too. The Indian
women is not mean-just playful.

Temecula - Stout Family Funeral Home -

A black spirit has been seen in the embalming room of this funeral home. Many other
strange experiences have occurred such as lights turning on and off, knockings at
doors and ghostly whispering.

Temecula - The Gallery -

Under the 15 freeway is a bridge where graffiti artist from around the world come to
paint, many stories are told about a painter shot by police. Sightings of a man in a
hooded sweat shirt and the noises of a rattling paint can have been reported.

Thousand Oaks - California Lutheran University - Mount Clef Dorm -

Mount Clef dorm is haunted by entities, of which one of them is a young boy who is
often seen wandering the hall upstairs in the 300 side. Residents find doors, which
were confirmed, to be closed and locked at night when they wake in the morning. Mud
has mysteriously appeared and then disappeared in beds. Pillows have been thrown
across rooms in the middle of the night, after being yanked out from underneath
sleeping residents. Cries and whimpering have been heard shortly afterthe pillow
incidents. It is rumored that the dorm is built on the site of an old hotel where a little boy
was murdered.

Thousand Oaks - United Artists Theaters 5 -

A little boy haunts theater number 5 who was killed back in the '70's during a freak
construction accident. Employees have heard footsteps behind them when no one is
there, banging from the walls and exit door, blue flashes of lights by the exit door,
laughter when no one else is there, and there has been one incident when 2 employees
went to clean the theater and they heard a little boy say HI but when they turned
around, the theater was empty. Some of the managers have also reported that the
projector area fortheater 5 is also haunted. Laughter, cold spots, flickering lights, and
moved film has been reported.

Torrance - Bishop Montgomery High -

Sightings of old nuns lurking around the third building hallway have been reported.
Witnesses have also seen an old drama teacher in the drama lab and visions of blood in
the hall ceiling.

Torrance - Del Amo Mall (where Shieks use to be) - Now a skateboard shop - NEXT TO
"WINSOR'S" -

cold spots, feelings of being watched feeling breath on your neck, and reports of a male
apparition.

Torrance - The Zamperini Stadium area -

A young woman and her children were walking home from a football game when they
were both brutally murderer and left in the stadium grounds. At night claims of children
laughing and a woman crying are heard through out the neighborhood. Sometimes late
at night two young children and their supposed mother are seen then vanish.

T racy - Amore's Pizza Place

Every time you eat there someone would always be taking the salt and pepper shakers.
T racy - Banta Inn -

this is a very old restaurant and bar where the workers claim at night after closing time
the money in the cash register is found neatly stacked one night an ash tray was hurled
through the air almost hitting a worker who was alone in there cleaning up and some
say they have heard a woman's laughter. This is all after closing time and the place is
clear of people other then the person cleaning up.

T racy - Bethany Reservoir -

There have been sightings of children running through the hills around the reservoir
screaming. Rumor has it that in 1962 an alcoholic fathertook his 3 sons and 2
daughters on a fishing trip and went insane and hunted his kids down one by one.

T racy - Byron Inn -

It is an abandoned hotel that was once used by famous Hollywood actors who wanted
to "get away" from the Hollywood life for awhile. It is now haunted by some of those
Hollywood stars.

T racy - Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin - Bldg 100 -

During the evening hours employees hear footsteps in the deserted mainframe room.
There are only one or two employees on duty and all have confirmed the sounds. The
water in the men's room, adjacent to the mainframe area, is found to be running on
occasion. It's suspected that either one of three previous employees, who have died by
terrible disease and suicides are the cause.

T ruckee - The Star Hotel -

People were seen inside the building when it was closed down. After seeing them they
were gone. Also lights would be on when know one was there. It is now a business.

T ulare - Hillman Health Clinic - formerly Tulare County General Hospital -

This set of buildings was at one time the county hospital. It is now a public and mental
health clinic with many other services housed in the 2nd floor. The basement is
currently in use by the maintenance department and there is a tunnel running from
what used to be physical therapy to the main building. Many transients live in this
tunnel. The main haunting seems to be on the 2nd floor. The elevatorgoes up and
down without anyone using it. The evening cleaning lady will not work past 9:00 p.m.
and has felt many vibrations she thought were heavy footsteps coming up the stairs
with no one ever appearing. One staff member was taken to the basement in the
elevator after pressing floor 1 .

T ulare - Springville - old TB sanitarium - Cemetery -

Two residents went to the old cemetery on the hill late at night to 'ghost hunt' and
reported feeling someone touch them and the man had his cap pulled off his head
several times, anothertime when they went there they heard voices in the cemetery
when no one was there but they could not locate where the voices were coming from.

T ulare - Springville - old TB sanitarium - Laural Building

The Sequoia Dawn low income housing that is there now was once an old TB
sanitarium and hospital forTulare County. Several of the residents have had strange
occurrences in their apartments and also other buildings there. There is a room in the
clinic there that is so cold you feel uncomfortable in it and that room is only used for
storage now. Also voices are heard throughout the buildings by residents and when
they turn to look no one is there. A woman who lived upstairs in the Laural building saw
an apparition of a woman in her hallway that suddenly vanished.

Tulare County - RD 108/Demaree RD -

Between Tulare and Visalia on Demeree between Oakdale AVE and AVE 272 there has
been sites of a black figure either running across the road or walking on the side of the
road. Don't see to many people walking out, it is a very eerie but well traveled country
road. Also when there is no fog anywhere there will be patches of fog or mist that will
always be at eye level no matter how tall you car is. Stories have been told about a tree
out there across the street from the dairy out there where people use to be hung.
Further research is being conducted to give better information.

T urlock - Salvation Army building -

People have reported hearing walking around upstairs seeing shadows moving
around, and talking. The history behind the place is that a Lawyer was murdered on the
second story part of the building back in the 1930's that is vacant.

T ustin - Mitchell -

Apparition of a lady in white and a ghost of a little boy that throws marbles.

Union City - Bronco Billy's Pizzeria -

In Old Alvarado section of Union City there is a pizzeria called Bronco Billy's pizza, it is
a very old building built before Union City became a city, In the after hours it is said to
be haunted , there are pictures of old cowboys from the area over a century old, the
place is dark and gloomy, the reserved party room is heard to be the most supernatural
activity. Submit: Submit

Upland - Park Road -

Park road is located in the San Antonio Heights area of Upland. People have reported
seeing the apparition of an old man standing in the middle of the Park Road/Mountain
Ave. intersection. If you stop at the intersection, he will come up to your car and shake

window sill of a farmers house. When the boy took off with the pie the farmer chased
the boy to a developing street called "Acacia" The boy was shot and killed while
begging for his life on the future site of 87 Acacia. People who have taken occupancy in
this house have reported a young boy begging for his life in the hallway, and missing
food.

Sanger - Centerville - Snake Road -

The street is called Channel, the twisting curves in the road have caused it to become
known as "Snake Road." On top of that, it is close to a fast flowing river, Kings River.

An apparition of a woman searching for her 2 daughters has been seen on the road.

Sanger - Hobbs Grove -

This is a popular place during Halloween when they have the haunted forest, hay rides,
and haunted house tours, some people have seen real ghosts lurking around during
the activities on Halloween. It seems the ghosts come out during the perfect time! If you
decide to go to these activities during Halloween, make sure it's a real person or a
ghost that's pulling tricks on you.

Santa Ana - Costa Mesa High School-

There is a ghost of a man that died in the boy's lockeroom

Santa Ana - Euclid corner Harzard -

Popular to all of people around that area with a haunted house that has been torn off
(99 out of 100 people in the city know about this area). This place has a lot of different
stories, someone said this place used to be a coffee shop, some gangs came and shot
each others made alot of people death and became haunted. Others said that the place
used to be Indian cemetery so there are spirits appeared during the night and kicked
people who lived there out.

Santa Ana - Fairhaven Cemetery Mausoleum - Lower Level -

In the lower level, there is a wall of the crypts of children. Occasionally the faint sound
of a child crying pierces the silence of the hallway down by this wall. UPDATE : "baby
wall" no longer exists. Apparently the crypts have been moved (or disbursed), and a
closed-circuit surveillance camera has been installed over the spot.

Santa Ana - Ralph's grocery CO. -

The boiler room is a very active place in this location you can see a large men floating
around, also the break room is very active.

Santa Ana - Santa Ana High School -

A young teenage actress, named Alice, died in the auditorium before the opening Act.

it, moaning and groaning.

Upland - Pioneer Junior High School -

It has been said that a ghostly figure wanders the hallways and can be seen in the dark
room that is not used anymore. Also, books fall off the shelves in the library and voices
can be heard when no one is around in the office.

Upland - Warp gate - Apparently when you drive into Upland from the Claremont bridge
there is a place or per say a nonexistent gateway you go to the Baseline and Benson
intersection the you start going up from Benson and look to the left side and you turn
into an area where construction is being done except that the machines are all old and
rusted and cant work anymore you turn into that field and keep going till you are in total
darkness and then wait(has to be while no one is around) your surroundings start to
disappearand everything goes to a purple blackish colorand the only real reason
people say this is because everything around that disappears including the machines. -

June 2008 Update: it is private property and there is construction going on , more like
mining and they have it closed off.

Uvas Canyon - Croy Road -

A woman all dressed in white nun-like robes was reported to be seen on several
different occasions. Also, a man dressed in Victorian clothing was said to have been
seen in one of the residences.

Valencia - Olive Vista Hospital -

Ghosts everywhere. You can hear people chasing you. It was an old hospital that was
closed but nobody knows why. It is two floors and they opened the bottom floor back
up as a hospital but the top floor is definitely haunted.

Valencia - Six Flags - Colossus -

there's supposedly a child in a striped shirt who occasionally can be seen at night
running through the supports underneath Colossus. That, and sometimes at night the
lift chain can be heard running and the clanking of the anti-rollbacks, despite the ride
being shut down for the night.

Valencia - Six Flags - Magic Mountain -

Cold spot and a presence felt.

Valencia - Six Flags - Revolution - formerly the 76er -

On roller coaster a girl working as an attendant was crushed and dragged by incoming
cars when she accidentally stepped onto the track. Some employees mention that they
have seen their co-worker by the tracks in the train station or in the tunnel shortly after

the loop on the coaster. They mentioned that they saw the apparition and another
employee mentioned they heard screams on another occasion. It appears these
incidents happen after closing around 1 AM in the morning for some odd reason. The
employee had been killed though during business hours.

Vallejo - Along the Highway Near Hiddenbook - The Children of Good Serpent
Orphanage: During -

"The Bad" Children were sent from all around the World to Good Serpent Continuation
School and Orphanage. The ghosts here are the scariest of them all. Some of the bad
Appalachian Experiment Children were sent here as well. (some of these children were
born deformed and others with learning problems)Some of the children that are seen
here sneaking out at night were so hideous that they changes the name from Good
Servant to Good Serpent(referring to the Devil). It was never listed in the Phone
Directories and was the Worst Case of Child Abuse ever recorded in History. The
violent souls of the Good Serpent Orphanage are still seen only in this area.

Vallejo - Lake Herman Road -

This is one of the places where the infamous "Zodiac" murdered a young lady and her
boyfriend back in the fifties or sixties, the hangout of the Zodiac was supposedly on
this road as well The road is nothing but abandoned ranches and utility buildings now
but a strange mist hugs to the top of the hills to the left on most nights rather than
sticking to the lake to the right ... it is on the right side of the road where the Zodiac
supposedly wrote taunting letters to the police. EVPs recorded picking up a strange
heavy breathing that seemed to be from a woman, and a strange feeling of not being
alone.

Vallejo - Naval T raining Station -

The ghost of a W.W.II sailor has been seen by witnesses going down a ladder into the
engine room. He then walks to a cubbyhole where there is only a desk and chair, and
disappears.

Vallejo - Raley's Shopping Center -

The ghosts of the 1897 trail derailment. In 1897 Vallejo welcomed the Royals of England
with a train ride through the Napa Valley. It derailed and Princess Margaret and
Princess Marie Elena died instantly as well as 100 of the passengers that accompanied
them from the Ride from NY to Vallejo to the Napa Valley. The 100 passengers that
traveled with them were the 100 servants of the Princesses of England.

Vallejo - Rancho -

This started when a man was accidentally shot on Rancho on a Monday night.. Now
every Monday Night people here gunshots and the man screaming and yelling for his
life... Some times blood is found on driveways that no one knows where it came from.

Vallejo - Richardson Drive & Old Marche-Maher Ranch Area (Now Borges Ranch) -

"Little Boy Blue" the missing Royal of France. In 1980, the authentic painting of Little
Boy Blue was found in a old wore down home on Richardson Drive. The people just
bought the home and the neighborhood was being rebuilt. One of the Construction
Workers came across the Painting. It was Prince Louis Bonaparte Delacroix
Montenegro Hollanzder of France(1 879). He was going to be King. He was kidnapped at
18 years old. Right afterthe Royal Court painted his picture. Some say he was
murdered violently still wearing his Royal Outfit. He had a met another Royal who was
also kidnapped and taken here and they became boyfriend and girlfriend. The
description of the ghost: Prince Louis has short dark hair combed back. He is wearing
a blue army/military suit with a white collar, he looks like a teenager, he is a bit thin. He
has blue eyes. He loves women. Some people say he was killed on his way to meet his
girlfriend who lived in the Marche Mansion. (Located on the present-day Angelina Way
Street). *Some people say every night since 1879 the ghost of Prince Louis kisses any
women who end up moving to this street, going house to house watching over them.
(His ghost was the Inspiration to the Story Peter Pan)WRITTEN IN 1900.

Vallejo - Vallejo Museum -

The former location of the Vallejo Canteen.(A popular spot in the early 1900s for Society
Members to gather) In 1922 Rose Borgia was to perform for Manuel the King of
Portugual, she was his wife and somehow was left behind when she visited her
nephew here in the United States. The person who served as hertranslator sold herto
the Marche-Maher Family and they locked her up in the attic of Branciforte. She never
was able to see her husband and after 2 years of practicing to Perform for him a Irish
Song called "Smiling Through" She suffocated in the attic. Her ghost is often seen the
in Vallejo Museum(formerly Vallejo Canteen)practicing singing with a friend (location
upstairs)and later vanishes after the window opens then shuts. Some smell a scent of
Gardenia, in which she use to wear in her hair.

Valley Center - Indian burial grounds -

Dead Indians can be seen chasing buffalo with spears, have been heard as well.
Vandenberg AFB - Space Launch Complex 5 (SLICK 5) -

His ghost approaches a security policeman's guard post and asks about a fire and then
disappears.

Vandenberg Village - Cabrillo High School Theater-

The ghost of a girl has been seen in the spotlight room. Her voice can even be heard
from behind locked doors. Drama students have also reported being locked in the
dressing rooms. Supposedly, the girl fell off the indoor balcony and died.

Van Nuys - DWP Utilities Bldg, on van Nuys Blvd. -

Strong presence here. Cold spots, touching. There is a strong negative energy of a
malevolent entity that haunts the building.

Van Nuys - Right Side Up -

Cold spots and unexplained electrical malfunctions.

Venice - St. Mark School -

There is said to be a ghost nun at St. Mark School. In the fourth grade class room there
is said to be a ghost nun haunting the room. There was a nun that used to work forthe
school who taught fourth grade. She died and came back to haunt the school. There
have been sightings of her, and at occasional times you would see the door slam by its
self with no windows open. The windows in the class room would open by them selves
too.

Ventura - Bard Hospital -

Bard Hospital has been turned into an office building. Now things move around by
themselves and lights go out without human help. If one wants them to go back on, all
one has to do is say, "I'm not finished yet!" and they'll go back on.

Ventura - Bella Maggiore Hotel -

Ghost of a prostitute who committed suicide haunts Room 17 - soft singing, strong
smell of roses inside room and in adjacent hall, occasional mist near window.

Ventura - Cemetery Park -

There was an Gutcaste, depressed teenager who had hung himself in a tree in the park.
He is said to be seen hanging in the tree staring wide eyed into the distance, and there
is said to be a cold chill in the air and a strong malicious presence.

Ventura - Mission Santa Buena Ventura -

This isn't exactly what you would call a "proper" haunting, but when you take a tour of
Mission Buenaventura and you enter the sanctuary and walk down toward the front
alter, you get a distinct feeling of a spiritual presence far stronger than a normal
"church-ey" feeling, you leave the sanctuary through a side door to the garden and
that's where it hits you, near the olive press, the overwhelming feeling of someone
approaching you from the side, putting their arms around your shoulders, surrounding
you with warmth and hugging you lightly. You leave there feeling as if you had visited
with a close relative or someone who might have fed you tea and cookies. A very
strong, strange but comforting feeling!

Ventura - San Buena Ventura Mission -

in the early morning hours you can hear chanting, cries, and children talking.

She was in the balcony looking to see if her parents were there, when she fell over to
the first floor and died. It is said that if you go to the Attic of the auditorium you could
here someone inside knocking and walking around. Once you go in there is no one
there. Lead actors and actresses have also said that when an opening Act is about to
start there is A "good luck ” sign carved on the floor, once the play it's over the carving
isn't there anymore.

Santa Ana - Sports Authority -

Sightings of a little girl wandering around the store. According to employees they have
heard her giggling at night when the store is closed some have the feeling of being
watched and touched. Apparently in the early 70's a body of a little girl was found in the
back of the store. Now she walks the store and plays.

Santa Barbara - La Cumbre junior high Theatre -

A student by the name of Edwin was killed in the theatre in the 1950s when a
counterweight sand bag fell from the cat walk and broke his neck. Students have sited
him in the theatre and in the upper cat walk. The sand bag that killed him still exists but
is not used anymore.

Santa Barbara - Lompoc - Lompoc Furniture on H St -

The second floor of the building was the town morgue. A woman has been seen by
many store patrons walking on the second floor landing. There are a series of furniture
showrooms beyond the stairway landing on the second floor. The area is accessible;
the back room to the right of the landing has spots, which are very cold.

Santa Clara - Agnews Insane Asylum • Built around 1918 afterthe original structure was
destroyed in 1912. Workers have witnessed apparitions, strange laughter, screaming,
cold spots and freezer doors flying open violently along with the ejection of the
contents. -

December 2003 Update: Agnews developmental center was torn down and became the
new site of the SUN Microsystems Santa Clara Campus. Information about the site can
be found rsconst.com

Santa Clara - Blood Tavern -

In the north valley Baptist church, there was a mass cult suicide, where innocent
children were slaughtered like cows for there meat. Their spirits have inhabited this
church since the late 60's when it happened. There have been sightings of pentagrams
on the floor and ceilings covered in blood. Witnesses have seen apparitions of mangled
bodies and heard children's screams below through the halls. You can sometimes feel
the children hitting you to get out.

Santa Clara - Merced - HWY 152 Gilroy to Los Banos - Pacheo Pass "The Green Man " -

There are many stories of the horrible things that have happened along Pacheco Pass
between Gilroy and the Casa de Fruta but after the Casa de Frusta and just before you
go up the pass to the San Luis Reservoir, there is a man that is spotted by travelers
while driving the road from 1975 - 1980. The man was always in a black cape, has a lime
green face, bald headed and is very visible at night or day. He is always floating just
above the ground next to the southbound lanes with his arms folded and a stern look
on his face.

Santa Clara - Paramount's Great America -

There have been stories of a young boy playing in the aisles after closing. The ghost of
a ten-year-old boy who was killed on an amusement park ride haunts the area where
the ride once stood.

Santa Clara - Paramount's Great America - Big Arcade & Drop Zone -

There is a story of a man that haunts the big arcade over by the drop zone. Security
would see a man on the cameras but when they got there no one was there, but here's
the catch, the guy watching the cameras kept telling the guys over the radio that the
guy was behind them and then next to them.

Santa Clara - Paramount's Great America - IMAX theatre -

there are reports of lights turning on and off, and whispers.

Santa Clara - Paramount's Great America - Paramount Theater -

witnesses have seen a man walk across the stage and then disappear, experienced
cold spots, odd noises and the feel of fingers on the back of their necks, tap their
shoulder and speak their name.

Santa Clara - Paramount's Great America - Roast Beef Shop -

There was a man wearing a blue shirt that got locked up in the freezer and froze to
death. Every night at exactly 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. when closing u can hear screams
in the freezer of the man in the blue shirt.

Santa Clara - Santa Clara University -

Students passing by the cemetery next to the mission claim to here eerie moans and
locked doors to the O'Connor building swinging open and shut. In the bell tower
reports of past Jesuits are seen praying.

Santa Clara - Sun Microsystems -

February 2/20/04, around 10:00 PM, there were three Phone technicians working in one
of the buildings. Two men and a woman. They were running new phone lines into a
phone closet. Their was a door next to the closet. The woman heard a noise & opened

it. Their was a little girl with her arms opened (as to give her a hug) & the woman
jumped back & fell onto the guys. When the guys looked back to see what the heck was
going on, they saw the ghost as well. Immediately, they took off running. The Building's
power was off & just the two guy's had flash lights. They ran so fast, they left the
woman behind to fend for herself. She really freaked out trying to find an exit in the
dark. This was a VERY scary moment for all of them & when she finally made it out,
security was there to assist her. Security had heard from the men once they arrived
outside of a ghostly presence. When asked to finish their job by their employer, they
"absolutely" refused to ever go back!

Santa Clara - Sun Microsystems -

About two weeks ago February 2/20/04, around 10:00 PM, there were three Phone
technicians working in one of the buildings. Two men and a woman. They were running
new phone lines into a phone closet. Their was a door next to the closet. The woman
heard a noise & opened it. Their was a little girl with her arms opened (as to give her a
hug) & the woman jumped back & fell onto the guys. When the guys looked back to see
what the heck was going on, they saw the ghost as well. Immediately, they took off
running. The Building's power was off & just the two guy's had flash lights. They ran so
fast, they left the woman behind to fend for herself. She really freaked out trying to find
an exit in the dark. This was a VERY scary moment for all of them & when she finally
made it out, security was there to assist her. Security had heard from the men once they
arrived outside of a ghostly presence. When asked to finish their job by their employer,
they "absolutely" refused to ever go back!

Santa Clarita - Space Ordnance Systems -

Located off Highway 14, Sand Canyon exit turn right, go past housing developments to
locked gate. Behind this gate is the old set for filming High Chapperal (an old TV series)
and an old ordnance facility that used to mix explosives for devices used in the military.
The lead azide was mixed in giant Kitchen Aide type mixers in concrete mixing bays.
Over the years several of the mixing bays blew up. Witnesses say they saw and heard
the men screaming as they ran across the field with only their belts and shoes on the
charred bodies. The facility could not keep any night shift guards because of reported
screaming and lights turning on and off in locked buildings. Many employees reported
being saved before their mixing bay blew up. One employee even reported not being
able to open a bathroom door with no lock until the mixing bay blew up.

Santa Clarita - The Cottage on Walnut -

Next door to the Egg Plantation (also reportedly haunted). Both businesses converted
from old homes. This is one of the oldest neighborhoods in LA County. Tags flap
around as if someone walked by. Hems heard shifting around. Steps sometimes heard.
Loud objects clanging during morning pre-open hours. First hand accounts of ghostly
apparitions in restaurant next door, including an angry cook.

Santa Clarita - The Egg Plantation -

When sitting at the bar, people are constantly looking overtheir shoulders back at the
front door, seeing things out of the peripheral vision.

Santa Clarita - Hart Mansion -

The home of the silent film star William S. Hart. Mr. Hart is scene by people that he
recognizes and likes (namely docents). He and his sister (also a ghost) are the only
people to have ever really lived in the home. The ghost of their nurse as well as Mr.
Hart's dogs are also seen. Coffee is often smelled in the museum.

Santa Clarita - Lake Elizabeth -

Allegedly once occupied by sea serpent / monster and various demons. Once settled as
a mining /farm community by Spaniards who reported dead cattle, sickness and ruined
crops. Historical accounts of a terrible sulfuric smell pervading the surrounding area.
The monster / creatures have not been seen recently, but the odor persists to this day,
as well as an eerie presence in the town and homes there.

Santa Clarita - Sand Canyon Road -

In the mid 80's a car load of kids going to prom wrecked their car at the intersection of
Sand Canyon Road & Warm Springs Road. Reports of a young woman signaling for
help, and then vanishing.

Santa Clarita - Six Flags California -

Every night just a few hours after the park is free of all guests, the security base get a
phone call from Goliath (caller identification) and when they answer, all they hear is
static. After numerous calls, a few security guards investigated the matter. When the
base got the call, they radioed two guards waiting on the exit ramp. When the guards
ran up to the station, there was nobody around. They searched every part of the ride
and found nothing but an empty feeling.

Santa Cruz - Adolph's Restaurant - Several workers complain to co-workers at seeing
ghosts in the restaurants. One even attempted to contact a parapsychology institute
nearby but nothing came of it. Although owners refute these claims, one waiter says
restaurant hostesses, waiters and busboys have discussed the sightings among
themselves. Historians, meanwhile, have said a murder occurred at the site of the
restaurant near the turn of the century. -

July 2005 Update: It is now a Chinese Restaurant.

Santa Cruz - Grahm Hill Road Cemetery -

There is a cemetery on the left hand side of the road when going up Grahm Hill road
right off of Highway 17 in S.C. This cemetery is pretty strange there is a lot of action
going on in here. You can see faces and things moving inside of the cemetery. If you
pull into the driveway towards the end of the cemetery and shine your headlights you

will see a white figure coming towards you. MOVE! This ghost is not friendly. There are
many orbs that you can see with the naked eye and some strange noises heard from
the East end of the Cemetery. Faces are seen in the headstones and Dark shadows
above them.

Santa Cruz - Red, White and Blue Beach -

A woman was killed at this beach by her boyfriend. Apparently, her ghost is seen
haunting the beach.

Santa Cruz - San Jose - Highway 17 -

People have claimed to see the ghost of an old Indian man walking along the road. He
is supposedly the cause of all the accidents.

Santa Cruz - The Rispin Mansion -

Upstairs is haunted by a woman in a Victorian black dress who is looking for a book,
she also opens doors even heavily locked and bolted or nailed ones and windows.
Downstairs, a man with glasses is seen in the empty fireplace, and in the basement an
angry dog, probably from when local police used the place for search dog training,
haunts the stairway and front door. Also a heard calls out for help from the basement.

Santa Cruz - University of California Santa Cruz - Porter College - A Building -

On the fifth floor of A building a student killed himself and is occasionally seen walking
down the hall dressed as he was when he died, there are several other 'ghosts' known
to reside in the A building as well.

Santa Cruz - University of California Santa Cruz - Porter College - B Building - 1st Floor

On the first floor of B building three rooms are known as the "Bermuda T riangle" This
hall is no longer occupied but when it was there were many reports of noises and
voices heard, objects flying across the rooms and a feeling that there was something
extremely malicious there. The malicious feeling persists for people just walking down
the hall.

Santa Cruz - University of California Santa Cruz - Porter College - B Building - 3rd Floor
North of the B building -

Over the years, a number of people residing on the hall have experienced waking up
from a dead sleep and feeling as though they were being strangled and held to their
bed as they tried to sit up.

Santa Cruz - University of California Santa Cruz - Porter College - The Meadow -

The third spirit is a transient named Lily that lived in the meadow near Porter in the 70s

she is seen walking around the meadow, either in rags or naked.

Santa Cruz - White Lady -

In the back woods off of Grahm Hill Rd. Very creepy. Voices of a old woman. Sometimes
see a white lady walking around.

Santa Fe springs - St. Paul high school -

It is said that at night you can hear football players from the past practicing at night in
the field. And in the 100 building you can see a girl in her prom dress and her date who
hung himself in that building roaming the halls.

Sante Fe Springs - St. Paul High School - Building 500 -

motion activated sinks and toilets in the boys bathroom have gone off with no one
standing near them.

Santa Maria -CAMONLANE -

COMPUTERS GO ON AND OFF OCASSIONALLY& PEOPLE FEEL SPIRITS. MANNY
PEOPLE SEE THE SPIRITS TURN OFF AND ON THE LIGHTS

Santa Maria - Santa Maria Inn -

In the historical section of the hotel scents of women's perfumes were smelled in a
room at night. Also, the door mysteriously locked a guest out. Several items in room
were moved around. Also reports of the elevator going to a certain floor and stopping
for 15 minutes and starting up again, always at the same time of day.

Santa Paula - The Glenn Tavern Inn -

There is a young boy who died there and is seen playing on the second floor and in the
lobby. Also, the piano that is in the lobby plays by itself. There have been sightings of a
person or apparition looking out of the window of Room 23. The rooms 305, 103, and 23
are all roamed by ghosts. On the second floor a child who died runs around after
1 :00am at night. Also the ghost in 305 will walk through all the third floor doors and the
lobby. The 103 ghosts just knocks little things down and looks in the window at you or
whoever is staying there. It is said that the guy in 103 was shot in an illegal
poker/gambling game and is looking for the money that he rightfully deserves.

Santa Paula - Wallace Theatres / Santa Paula 7 theaters Theater #6 -

employees report feeling uneasy in the theatre while cleaning and when the lights are
off in the theatre the darkness in theatre seems more dark then a normal dark. There are
also reports of a man spotted sitting in one of the seats in number 6 and then he
vanishes and reports of seeing apparitions appear in the projection booths upstairs
especially near the projection booth to theater 6. As well as the sweet smell of perfume

in the theatre.

Saratoga - Bella Saratoga -

Cold spots felt. In the restroom the water has been known to turn on by itself -
witnesses claim to even see the handle turning.

Saratoga - Small Antique Store on Big Basin Way -

Some people report being tapped on the shoulder by the ghosts on the lower floor.
Scotts Valley - Scotts Valley Cinemas -

Reports of ghosts in theater #2 and an uneasy feeling when alone after hours and when
in the theater alone, like someone is watching you. Defiantly a ghost, but not at all
violent.

Seal Beach - US Naval Weapons Station -

The phenomenon occurring at the WPNS Station covers a variety of ghostly
manifestations such as apparitions, knocking, footsteps, horrible ghostly moaning,
laughter, animal spirits, water devas, and even poltergeist antics.

Seaside - Cal. State Monterey Bay -

Built on the old army base of Fort Ord, students have herd disembodied breathing or
voices. The old army prison and Officers Mansion are said to be haunted as well.

Selma - Blockbuster Video -

Employees have heard door of office shut. Keys rattling. Lights turn on at night. People
talking in the office when no one is there. Shadows. And someone with you all the time.

Shingle Springs - La Casa Dr. -

There is a strange mist that hovers at times, no matter the climate (no hot-springs
present). Sounds of Native American drumming can be heard late at night or early in the
morning (there are grinding stones in the area). My neighbor personally saw what
looked like a ghostly form of a mountain lion enter the mist, and what looked to be the
ghostly form of a Native American Warrior exit on the opposite side of the mist.

Silverlake - Edgewater terrace -

sightings of a little girl crying behind a bush at really late hours of the night! Also the
ghost of the midnight jogger has been seen around this area and next to the lake!

Simi Valley - Indian Hills -

When the Indian Hills area was built there were, and still are, many hills which seemed

Feeling of not being alone in the building after hours. Out of the corner of your eyes at
night, you see something run down the hall and around the corner. Sometimes in the
hallway where you see the figure, you get major chills and your hair stands on end.

Also you can hear doors slamming in different areas of the first floor after it been
closed.

Canoga Park - A Jack in The Box on Topanga Cyn, -

Numerous sightings of a man standing at the drive through window, wearing all red, the
milkshake machines turning on for no reason, and furniture in the dinning area moving
by themselves at night and the frozen food on the floor.

Canoga Park - Canoga High School -

Reports of a ghost who messes with the lights and audience.

Canoga Park - Old Earth Island Manufacturing Facility - (now empty) -

This spot is a small industrial business strip on Alabama Ave. across from the large self
storage building and behind the wheel and tire and dirt bike gear shop. In the
warehouse late at night you could hear the ghost of a woman screaming as it passed
you from the back to the front. Reports of seeing the apparition and greeting them as a
person and realizing no one was there have happened. One account was a repairman
working on the water heating system he was at work after hours and his tool chest was
on his left side, as he was working the tool chest was slammed down on his right side
hard enough to startle him and send him running out of the building. Additionally, the
ghost was said to live in the attic area of the walk in refrigerator, the walk-ins ceiling
was later removed to increase space and a storage area was walled off above th e
kitchen. Every day before work started, the door to the room would be open even if it
was locked the night before Take Caution. The building is locked and it is doubtful that
the present occupants will allow access.

Canyon Lake - The Condos on Indian Beach -

The sinks in every bathroom would turn on by themselves at the same time. Also when
in the shower, sometimes the shower curtain would open up.

Capitola - The Capitola Theater -

Reports of hearing voices and all kinds of racket going on in the theater as if there were
a theater-going crowd.

Capitola - Soquel Drive -

This old house marked "20" on the entrance is extremely haunted. There are lots of
active orbs and sounds being heard inside of the house while venturing around the
exterior of. Upon getting inside of the house things had been moved after going from
room to room and noises heard in down below quarters of the house. On the balcony

there is a ghost of an old man who stands on the balcony and guards the home from
the 3rd story. The only way into this place was to climb.

Carmel - Blue Sky Lodge -

The upper suites, very cold at night and feeling very uneasy in the master bedroom of
the two bedrooms.

Carlsbad - Plaza Cinema 4 -

In theater 3 a female usher was scared out by a rolling trashcan rolling up the hall way
while cleaning. The girl also heard a name being whispered in the theater, when she
came out to see if it was another employee doing the whispering everyone else was
busy. She then started crying and then quit the next day. In theater 4 (the big theater) an
usherwas cleaning the theater when a large piece of ceiling almost hit him and fell a
couple feet from him.

Carson - Alameda/Wilmington Blvd. -

A Spirit of a man who is dressed in the style of the 1800's has been seen in the area of
Alameda and Wilmington/Del Amo Blvd. It has been rumored that when the Dominguez
Ranch house was used as a Stage Coach stop over after the Civil War, the man was
beaten and killed on that area where those streets connect.

Carson - Carson High School -

at the track field at midnight you can see a boy running around the track and if you get
close to it, it'll disappear., or right before the sun comes up it'll disappear.

Carson - Del Amo Blvd. and Wilmington Blvd. -

haunted by a man who had been hanged and robbed. It's also been told that he's
dressed in the style of the 19th century.

Carson - Dominguez Ranch House -

The Rancho Dominguez Adobe Ranch House is now a museum. This house was one
time used as a stop overfor people coming to the San Pedro seaport to Los Angeles
back in the late 1800's. The site of the house is also know as "the battle of Rancho
Dominguez" of the Mexican-American War back in the 1840's. Rumor has is that you
can see "orbs" orflashes of small lights moving very quickly around the park site late
at night where the house sits. Also rumor has it that a man was beaten and robbed and
left to die just about 100 yards from where this historical and supposedly "haunted"
site is located. The ghost of the man is rumored to be a "guest" that stayed at the house
when it was used as a stop over for travelers.

Carson - NW corner of Pacific St. and Banning Blvd. -

a man that was stabbed to death around his mobile home, is said to be seen walking
around between 10:00 & before midnight.

Castro Valley - Chabot Theater -

Employees have heard a mans laughing and have seen shadows moving up and down
the isle late at night

Castro Valley - Redwood Rd. -

Almost at the very end of Redwood Rd., there's a haunted preschool. In the early 1980s,
a man, with a knife, killed all the kids at the preschool. The building no longer remains.
All that remains is a swing set and the foundation of the building. From time to time, you
can hear the children playing or running around and you can see the swings actually
moving by themselves

Catalina Island - Two Harbors - The Banning Inn -

A specter dubbed the "White Lady" has been seen here as well as the smell of tobacco
and fish from the spirit of a fisherman. Rumors of Natalie Wood's ghost have also been
talked about in the area where she drowned.

Cerro Gordo - Belshaw House -

Beautiful semi-ghost town in the Inyo Mountains east of Lone Pine. The Belshaw House
has shapes that are seen out of the corner of the eye and electrical effects like TVs,
lights flickering, etc.

Cerro Gordo - Bunkhouse -

said to have a ghost that appears as a glowing mass in last room on the left. Main
kitchen has ghost/lights and there are photos on display of this.

Cerritos - Cerritos High School -

Many janitors have heard strange banging noises in the Girls locker room. Also, it has
been said that at night you can see a group of kids nearthe track, but as you move
closer they disappear.

Cherokee - Cherokee Cemetery -

It is history that the town sweetheart was murdered in the 1800 and her murderer
burned alive in his home across the street from the cemetery. If you visit the cemetery
during the evening hours, you can hear stomping in this extremely deserted area. Also
there grave of a child that passed the same day as his father. If you place flowers on
that tombstone, locals say he will visit you that evening and thank you.

Chico - California State University Chico - Laxson Auditorium

supposedly the spirit of an older woman has been seen by performers on stage, sitting
in one of the balcony seats. She always sits in the same seat but of course is gone
when anyone goes to investigate.

Chino - Chino Hills - Story is a man who escaped prison stalked a family killing the
mother, father and sister and just cut the boy's ears. They say if you go to the house
you will see blood prints and the ghosts of the family. - July 2005 Update: recently the
sole survivor made a statement recounting the murder. You can read it here
http://lang.dailybulletin.com/projects/cooperwatch/news/042305Joshua_statement.asp
Warning this article is a bit graphic.

Chowchilla - Chowchilla library - bowling alley -

A few years back the Bowling Alley of C howchilla caught on fire. It started in the
kitchen, and spread through out the building. Unfortunately the cook never made it out
in time. He was burned to death, and soon after it was turned into the Chowchilla
library, there has been many reports of this man and you can see a flash of flames and
the man run by. The check out center is over where the kitchen used to be and you can
sometimes feel the heat of the fire, and see the man standing there with his spatula and
apron on.

Chowchilla - Chowchilla Union High School -

Chowchilla Union High school has had many students in the past years who have
passed away. There have been reports of the students who have passed away still
roaming the halls, at the lockers, in the gym, the cafeteria, and in the classrooms. You
always get the feeling that someone is watching you in the classrooms. Some students
have said that a girl with long blonde hair will ask them what time it is then disappear,
and some say the girl goes by "Michelle".

Chowchilla - Minturn Cemetery -

Reports of ghostly apparitions chasing cars down the dirt road, A woman screaming,
children crying or laughing, and a man ghost picking up trash around the graves.

Chowchilla - Save-Mart Supermarkets -

Staff of Save Mart Supermarkets in Chowchilla California have reported A woman who
used to work the Graveyard shift for janitorial stated that on the nights that she was
alone with the night stockers that she would feel a presence through out the aisles, or
in the upstairs break room. One young man who used to work there stated that he had
the same feeling, but he worked the swing shift and only felt the presence in the break
room. The young man said that every Saturday was when no one worked the grave
yard shift and the store is totally empty. ...well, not all the time. Some people have said
they would see someone walking around the store on Saturday nights, around 2:00am.
They would also see shadows from a distance as if there is someone walking around
inside.

Chualar - The End Of Chualar Road - Many times a night when you drive home you can
see a woman walking on the side of the road. When you pass her she disappears. One
report states, “One time I was at the end of my road (which is at the End ofChualr road) I
was riding my motorcycle and I was masterly thrown off by something. When I hit the
ground I passed out and when I woke up I saw a black hair woman above me staring at
me. I blinked and she was gone. I am almost positive it was the lady on the side of the
road.”

Chula Vista - Hilltop Road -

You can hear screams at night, children crying, and playing. Allegedly A sailor Came
home from seas crazy and killed his wife, son, and daughter. When nearthe property
you feel chills and a sense of dread. The house burnt down a few years back but the
haunting is still there. All you can see now is the chimney standing in the middle of the
fenced in yard.

City of Industry - The Sheraton Hotel -

Please do not attempt to trespass. Security guards that patrol the grounds in the late
night hours have reported seeing two shadowy figures running through the golf
course. Noises can be heard in the back end of these apartments where a wall
separates the complex from the forest.

Claremont - Botanical Garden Girl -

there is said to be a small girl, maybe five to six years of age, who sits by a pond and
watches the fish while crying. She is said to be wearing Native American clothing, most
likely she is a Cauhillan, (pronounced Kaheeya), a tribe of Native Americans who once
lived on that land. Incidences include, cold spots, sudden strong gusts of wind, and
crying sounds.

Claremont - Claremont High School -

In the old gym of CHS, many have heard legends of the spirit of a former student. Some
stories involve numerous reports of "troubled/desperate whispering", one entire P.E.
class claims to have heard prolonged screaming from underthe bleachers, but finding
no source, and some students have been physically pinned by the ghost. There is a
name burned into the floor of the gym, students believe it is the name of the ghosts.

Claremont - Griswold's old school house -

there are several ghosts that haunt this old school house, several people have heard
children's voices when no one is around and others have seen a white mist walking
around. Doors fly open by themselves. Also there is always a feeling of being watched.

Claremont - Thompson Creek T rail (east path) -

while walking this path in the late evening hours, strange noises that sound like

scratching and footsteps coming from bushes on the sides of the trail have been heard.
Also there have been reports of cloud formations forming skull-like shapes. Also, when
no one is around you, sometimes shadowy figures can be seen walking behind you,
sometimes hiding behind bushes. The crackling sounds from the power lines overhead
don't help the experience too much, adding a deeper eeriness to this location.

Claremont - Thompson Creek Woods -

reports of, "levitating boulders, invisible walls, short hideous visions of violence, and
flying people that follow you until you leave." Also reported, There is also strange
symbols on the trees and cabin which are said to bleed, and there are even reports of
invisible walls which sometimes block entrance to certain parts of the forest.

Clayton - Contra Costa - Pioneer Inn -

The Pioneer Inn has been around since the 1860's and is known to be haunted by the
ghost of the past. The Pioneer Inn has Gone thru a lot over the years from having the
second floor collapsing then having it rebuilt and having it burn down. The Ghost have
been know to carry things around and touch occupants on there shoulders and hands.

Clayton - Eagle Saloon / Clayton Club -

The Eagle Saloon (now the Clayton Club) was a Building that was brought up river from
San Francisco to the town of Clayton back in the 1860's at that time this was one of the
5 saloons in the Town of Clayton and it was one ofthe places that holds the most
history of hauntings in Clayton. Things have been know to move about, cold spots,
glasses moving, and the lights to go on and off on there own.

Clayton - Keller Mansion -

The Keller house is a house built in the early 1 920's and was one of California oldest
cattle ranches up to the 1970 s the house was built on a old Indian Grave yard, to this
day you can still find bones if you are to dig around in the basement ofthe old house. It
is said that the ghost ofthe Indians still haunt the old house and tend to move things
around, the house is now Property ofthe city of Clayton in down town Clayton behind
the library

Clayton - La Croquett Restaurant -

The Restaurant has been around since the time the town was founded in 1857. The
story goes is that during the day a miner from the black diamond mine area of
Somersville was in Clayton and got into a argument in the old Eagle Saloon across the
street. The argument turned into a shoot out and one ofthe bullets went thru the
window and stuck a little girl on the street. The people on the street brought the little girl
in to the restaurant where she died. In a pool of blood on the floor, to this day her sprit
can be seen from time to time playing in the street, and the Blood stain can not be
removed from the floor of the restaurant. Everything they do to remove it does not work

and the stain returns to this day it is still there under the carpet.

Clayton - Morgan Territory Rd -

Morgan Territory Rd is a old logging road that was built back in the 1800's to bring
wood from Santa Cruz to the Eastern Contra Costa County, the road cut thru between
Livermore and Clayton, since this is a very isolated road there has been a lot that has
happen on this road, one of the Legends is of Joaquin Murrieta California Bandit El
Dorado, it is believed that Joaquin has buried his loot some where in the Morgan
Territory area under a oak tree, and in the 1950's a woman and her husband were on
there way home from Livermore when they saw a spirit standing next to a oak tree off
the side of the road, not knowing the story about the loot at the tree they just thought
that they were just seeing things. Due to the darkens of the road and being tired, once
they started letting the story out to there friends and family they found out the story
about the loot of Joaquin Murri eta, from time to time people still report seeing the ghost
on Morgan Territory Rd. but they can never find the spot again when they go back to
look for the loot that is believed to be buried there.

Clear Lake - Modoc County - Fiddler's Green -

A pioneer woman who was said to have lived there was killed by thieves while her
husband was away. They threw her body down the well that is still there. At night you
can see her apparition walking along the shore of the lake with a lantern. Also, you can
hear her playing herfiddle faintly in the night wind.

Clovis - Andleberry Estate -

This was a mansion with an adjacent asylum for woman in the 1800's. Many horrible
experiments were performed on the patients, so the ghosts are frightened and angry,
you'll get feelings of fearand dread if you venture nearthe house. The mansion is on
Clovis Avenue, almost across the street from Sierra Vista Mall, the asylum is in the back.
At Halloween, the owner runs a Haunted House attraction; this is an opportune time to
visit.

Coachella Valley - Coachella Valley High School -

The backstage of the auditorium is known for its strange noises of pages being flipped
and books being knocked down which are stared behind the stage so reported from
drama students.

Coloma - Bell's General Store -

Built in 1849, the brick building was the center of activity for the large community of
gold miners that settled around Sutter's Mill. Modern visitors have reported hearing the
ringing of a nonexistent bell as the ghosts of former customers walk through the
doorway.

Coloma - Marshall's Monument -

On June 24, 1848 James Marshall found 2 nuggets. They were caught in the tailrace of
the waterwheel at the logging Mill operated by him and his partner John Sutter. It was
the beginning of the California Gold Rush. Between 1847 & 1860, the population of Ca.
grew from 15,000 to 380,000 largely because of that single event. Fanatical gold seekers
followed Marshall wherever he went, thinking that he had a magical gift for finding gold.
He died broken and destitute August 10, 1885 and was buried here. His restless ghost
has been seen as an indistinct shadow following visitors to his monument.

Coloma - Pioneer Cemetery -

8 miles No. of Placerville/hwy 49 to Coldsprings Rd, turn left, the cemetery is up the hill
on the left across from the Vineyard House. The Phantom of a lady in burgundy
watches over the Schieffer family plot in the old settlers graveyard. According to the
markers, William Schieffer died 1861 at age 2, Charles Schieffer died 1864 at age 42 and
May Schieffer died 1 890 at age 27. The ghost is a woman whose hair is parted in the
middle and pulled tightly into a bun. She is wearing a long, flowing, burgundy dress
and can be seen from the roadside beckoning passersby to come up to the grave site
and visit with her.

Coloma - Sheridan - Lincoln - Manzanita Cemetery -

Reported by a local firefighter while fighting a wild land fire, the fire had burned up to
the back of the cemetery. Appeared to stop at the back fencing, then parted going
around the cemetery and continued around the perimeter of the site with no logical
explanation. Also strange sounds can be heard coming from the site from about dusk
late into the early hours of the morning as well as seeing blackened shadows moving
across the grounds. The locals do not frequent this 1800s cemetery. Perhaps that's the
reason the cemetery is so active.

Coloma - Sierra Nevada House -

A mischievous spirit inhabits this hotel which was established in 1850. Co owner Gail
Masi says her employees named the ghost Christopher and blames him for moving
pots and pans, hiding knives and forks, and turning off the teakettles and other
harmless pranks. A malevolent spirit named Mark haunted room 4 according to psychic
Jeanne Smith. He shot his girlfriend in that room.

Coloma - The Vineyard House -

In Coloma, CA, there is a famous Victorian house called the Vineyard House, which has
been reputed to be haunted by its original owners for many years. The house was built
some time in the late 1800s, and was used overthe years as a jail, an inn and
restaurant, and, as its name implies, a winery. It was also at one time supposedly the
site of where some executions took place. According to records, the original owners
who built the house suffered one tragedy after another. Several of their young children
died, their winery was eventually ruined because of a blight, and the husband
contracted syphilis, which overtime caused blindness and mental illness. Because he

became violent from being mentally ill, his wife had him chained to a wall in the
basement of the house, where he reportedly died. The entire family is buried directly
across the street in a graveyard that overlooks the house. Reports of seeing ghosts in
the graveyard have also come forth in the past, but most of the stories took place inside
the house. Ghost stories of the encounters where told by employees and guests of
Vineyard House. One intriguing story was told by a couple who were staying in one of
the upstairs bedrooms. It was late at night and all was quiet, when suddenly the couple
was awakened by the sound of drunken men coming into the hallway downstairs. They
were very loud and were singing and laughing and making a general raucous, so the
husband upstairs stuck his head out the bedroom door to tell the loud men to quiet
down. But upon doing so, he saw three men dressed in Victorian clothing ascending
the stairs, and then they faded right before his eyes. Another story from a different
couple who decided to stay at the inn was that something frightened them so badly that
they packed up and left in the middle of the night. They reportedly refused to say what
had happened that scared them so badly. The basement was used as a bar, and it was
late at night after closing hours. The owner was cleaning up and wiping down he bar.

He said that there was one last glass at the far end of the bar, and as he was cleaning,
the glass suddenly began to shake, and then it slid all the way across until it finally
stopped right in front of him. He admitted that he had no rational explanation for what
he'd seen. It is believed that the things that go on in the bar are the original owner who
died down there while chained to a wall. Otherthings that have been reported are
sounds of rustling skirts, and there is apparently an area nearthe kitchen that is
constantly cold. A woman having dinner in the restaurant claimed that she was
approached by a young child who asked her to mash his peas and carrots for him.
Another scary incident occurred in the restaurant when a large chandelier suddenly
came crashing down, barely missing some of the guests. It used to be that when the
restaurant and inn were still in operation, you could pick up a pamphlet that gave
information about the hauntings. It was a famous place because it had been there since
the Gold Rush, and there were pictures of famous people, such as John Wayne and
Dudley Moore, hanging on the walls. The hauntings were so well-known that the house
was featured on That's Incredible! and Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Sadly, the house has
been closed to the public for quite a few years. If you are ever visiting old Coloma, the
site of the famous Gold Rush, be sure to drive by the old Vineyard House, and know
that you are seeing a house that has been famous for its hauntings for many years.

Coloma - Wah Lee Store/Museum -

Eerie waves of murmuring voices have been heard inside this general store. The
ghostly sounds of years gone by seeming to rise and fall like the ocean waves.
Chattering by the sound of hitting a meat cleaver on a butchers block..

Colton - Agua Mansa Road/Cemetery -

a woman walks the road in search of her children.

Colton -Carrows Rest

hunting of a little boy and 5 other girls in the 'BIG' room.

Columbia - Fallon House Theater & Hotel -

Years and years ago it burned down. They rebuilt it into replica of the old one. Now
there has been many reports of noises, voices, overwhelming stench of smoke, in one
room you can smell whiskey, and in room 9 and 13 a female ghost is seen quite often. In
the theater lights go on and off, and shadows of people are seen.

Commerce - Veterans Park -

Place is known to be haunted by a man name Martin who once worked as janitor at this
park. People have claimed to talked to a Martin when they have called the park office
before it has even opened. Lights go off and on for no reason doors will open and close
and the radio will change on its own to a local Spanish station.

Concord - Brendan Theaters 14 -

in theater 12 you can her little kids talking and laughing in the middle of a movie.
Concord - Clayton Valley High School - B hall -

A few years ago four students met in a freshman English class and they all shared a
love for music and formed a band. In their senior year the band was going to tour
southern California. Heading south on 1-5 the driver fell asleep and veered off road
which resulted in the death of all band members. The band can now be heard on the
first day of school at night where they met when they were freshman. The band plays
on.

Concord - Mount Diablo High School -

Reports of the apparition of a male teenager hanging by a noose from the roof, over a
balcony from the second floor part of the English Building. Supposedly a depressed
student who committed suicide there a long time ago. Also cold spots and voices and
noises at night near the balcony and staircase where the student committed suicide.

Corona - Gravity Hill - A girl got dumped by her boyfriend and was driving real fast.
There is a big bump in the street and she hit it and crashed into a tree and died. If you
turn around and stop on the bump her spirit pushes you UPHILL. Handprints can be
seen if your car is dirty. -

June 2008 Update: Gravity hill is an optical illusion. Bring a carpenter's balance: it will
measure the street going downhill. The reason you feel like you're going uphill is
because of the angle of the slopes on each side of the road, in reality your vehicle is
rolling downhill.

Corona - Horse thieves Canyon Road -

Reports of eyes burning, dizziness, and the feeling of being pulled to a wooded area
where reports of black floating apparitions. A trail goes past water towers after an hour
of walking a place forcampfire is found a circle of trees is present when all lights are off
black apparitions can be seen going from tree to tree. They do not like bright
flashlights, those who possess the brightest are pushed, kicked, dust is kicked up,
other noises are heard. Going in a small group is recommended due to long walk, on
other parts of the trail a blonde woman can be seen run between the trails, it never
happens in same place twice. Extremely cold breezes flow past you at certain points.

Corona - J J Live Oak Steakhouse - February 2004 Update: formerly listed as El Cerrito -
Live Oak Inn - As the story goes, back in 1988, a young waitress named Michelle was
strangled to death and left in the trunk of an old car behind the back patio of the inn.
Rumor has it that although the dishwasher is still doing time for her murder, it was
actually the cook that committed the crime. Regardless of who killed Michelle and why,
she still haunts Live Oak. The new owner doesn't mind and comments that, "People say
she is a really nice girl and even shy." He has never seen her, but has had many
complaints from customers that she continually flushes toilets close to closing time.
Perhaps even more spine tingling than Michelle's story is the fact that in the Inn's earlier
days, people were often hung from the twisted oak tree in front. If you look closely, you
can see the tree growing arou nd an old noose!!!-

February 2004 additional info - a bartender /waitress reports she is a witness to the
rumors of Michelle the ghost, and of the old owner "Larry" who shot himself in the
office. She has worked there for almost a year and Michelle has stopped flushing the
toilet and started ringing the food bell constantly during all hours. She has seen
shadows of her out of the corner of her eye when she is there alone, one of the cooks
son's talks to the ghost but it is supposed to be a secret and he can't tell us who he is
talking to. he also sees a man in black who walks around, the noose is visible in the tree
and she says she has touched it to see what it was made of. it was almost rope like wire
and it is grown into the tree.

Corona - Marie Callender's -

There are many stories, one night in the kitchen area a few of the workers were doing
side work and a few others were in the bar after closing and a big metal pie cutter flew
off a shelf onto the counter on the opposite side of the room a few feet away. There
were now many witnesses who believed that strange things were occurring at our
store. Servers reported trays flying at their heads in the dishwasher's area and salt and
peppershakers once empty were full. The spookiest always happened to the vendors
who cleaned the restaurant. The carpets would be cleaned on a monthly basis and they
would always come in pairs. Something would always happen, strange sounds,
floating balloons, TV's being turned on, etc. All of these things could be explained by
scientific methods: electric currents and helium filled balloons losing air. Whatever was
going on in that building after the emplo yees left was bad enough that the carpet
cleaners would never come alone. On the occasions that they would come alone, they
would come right at closing and be done before we would finish closing the store. On

one occasion a lone carpet cleaner decided he would do it by himself after the
employees left the building, saying that all the stories were hogwash. The next morning
the opening manager found him in his truck in the parking lot with all of his carpet
cleaning materials left inside of the building. He refused to step foot into the restaurant
and complete the job. He wanted to get his equipment and get out. Seems while he was
in the building the entities played with him more than they played with any one else. As
he was shampooing the carpets things were being written by a nonexistent finger in the
soap, chairs were moved in the dining room and salt and peppershakers flew at him.
The carpet guys from then on always came promptly at closing and no one was left
alone in th e building.

Coronado - Hotel Del Coronado -

Various hauntings occur in this hotel and has been depicted on famous hauntings
prog ramming

Costa Mesa - Back Bay High School -

there is a woman in the back of the school who screeches at night no one is there.
Costa Mesa - Estancia High School -

Faculty has reported strange smells and being touched when no one else is in the
room in the early morning. Night cleaning crews have told of flashlights beams being
restricted to only a few feet in front of them in seemingly clear hallways.

Covina - Zelda's Lagend - In the Early 1900's a young girl around 15 was kidnapped and
taken to an underground tunnel by a cult. The cult sacrificed her latter that night in the
end of the tunnel. No-one has ever made it to the end of the tunnel and if they have they
never came out. The legend is of you make it to the end the girl Zelda will sacrifice you
to.

Covina - Covina High School -Reports of an odd moaning sound in the boys locker room, Late at
night after a soccer game the whole team was chased out by a mysterious shadow like figure a
soccer player reported that after the event he was experiencing weird events 24/7

Crescent City - Sutter Coast H os pita I Old site and new ICU ward -

The old site of the hospital always gives passer-bys eerie feeling now a hotel is being
constructed right on the site, (that is sure to be haunted) but the new hospital's ICU
ward is definitely haunted. A worker at the hospital was in ICU when it was closed down
due to lack of patients, so therefore it was empty. They were minding their own
business when the patient call light and buzzer went off when they walked to the empty
room the buzzer stopped and the buzzer in the room two doors down went off, so they
walked back to the nurses station and the buzzer stopped. (The buzzers can only be
turned off from the nurse's station) They thought someone was playing a trick on them
but when they investigated the whole place was empty.

Crescent City - Tsunami Lanes -

old family owned bowling center was sold, new owners report during remodeling they
could here footsteps on wooden walk space behind pin-setters.

Crockett - Old road between Rodeo and Crockett -

Every summer if you are driving on this Rodeo / Crockett old road late at night a woman
in a white dress runs out into the middle of the road and tries to wave you down. But
when you go to look in your rear view mirror, she is no longerthere. It is said that her
car broke down and she got hit by a car while trying to wave someone down.

Cypress - Cypress College Photo Department -

A benevolent wraith called "Photy" lives in the main darkroom most often seen
standing by the northern-western-most enlarger. Usually the most sensitive students
see his outline, which appears lighter than the surroundings. Sometimes moving into
the photo-finishing room after closing and violently shaking the pictures hanging from
the wall. Students report a feeling of calm and well-being during sightings. A marked
change from the early days of the apparition when meter readings would be thrown off
and equipment would explode in the studio. Students reported have also reported
wildly unlikely results in the color and black and white darkrooms. It all began in the late
80s when a student brought in a human skull with a bullet hole in it to photograph in
studio 3. One night the chair of the department was alone late at night and heard
pounding on the stockroom d oor when there was no one there to pound

Cypress - Cypress High School - Performing Arts Building -

In the Performing Arts building in the attic use to be where they stored the play outfits. It
was said that a high school student was up there getting something and fell through
the floor boards to her death. (which was not a very big fall). Whenever you went up
there you could feel that someone is watching you. There was also a prop that was use
in most of out plays and whenever you looked into it you could see her. She would look
at you like she was mad. Because of what was going on up there they had to move
everything down to another room and sealed off the attic so no one else can go up
there. There was a time that someone was pushed and almost fell down the ladder
(which was used to get up to the attic) and cause of this no one likes to be left alone in
the Performing arts building.

Daly City - San Mateo -intersection of Skylin blvd and Hickey blvd -

There are stories that a lady in white is seen at the intersection in their view mirrors
when foggy.

Davis - Old City Hall/Police Station -

Davis PD moved to a new building recently, after having been in the old City Hall that
was built in 1938 or so. Downstairs, after it was vacated, in the Women's restroom, there

was seen a wild haired redheaded woman rushing toward the 2nd stall door in an
'attack' posture with outstretched arms and claw-like hands towards a person's face.

Death Valley Junction - Amargosa hotel -

Anomalies such as ecto-mist and orbs recorded on film.

Del Rey - Del Rey Cemetery -

Reports of cold spots, moaning heard, the third tomb in light up at night, EMF detector
was used and it went off like crazy

Delano - Browning Road -

browning road in Delano is known to have "ghost hitchhikers"

Devoure - Gravity Point -

You take a road called Glen Helen until you pass a 2 consecutive train tracks. When you
pass a 3rd set ortracks you will have a stop sign about 100 hundred feet in front of you.
You have to go passed to the stop sign and stop on the line. When the car is in neutral it
will roll up hill increasing in speed.

Devour - Treehouse Fun Ranch -

the place was being cleaned because of new owners. A worker decided to stay the
night to get a very early start in the morning. That night he heard noises, the fire pit
turned on all by itself, the lights flickered and shook, he decided to stay outside on the
cement, the next day the other workers heard the story when they where cleaning up
and in the bar and they found an urn of an old truck driver who visited frequently.

Diamond Bar- Diamond Bar High School -

Many students feel that when you walk through the hallways alone you will feel
someone's hand on your shoulder but when you look back, nothing is there and when
you look back you'll see a girl in yourface whose eyes are not there. Legend says that
this girl was once a cheerleader in this school and her boyfriend and some friends
raped and killed her.

Dinuba - Dinuba high school - auditorium -

teachers have heard doors closing by themselves lights turn on and off by themselves,
being watched while walking down the halls, and feelings of being forced down stairs.
Stories have been told that a janitor had been electrocuted many years ago.

Dinuba - Dinuba High School - Football Field -

Years ago a young girl broke up with her boyfriend and he began to stalk her. They
decided to meet and he strangled her and left her underthe bleachers. At that time the

bleachers had black plastic around the back because they stored equipment there. The
girl's ex-boyfriend left her body there and it wasn't found for a week or so because it
was mixed up with all the equipment. It's said that at night you can see her running
across the football field.

Disneyland - The Christmas Shop -

Some of the stock crew has reported an strange feeling when alone stocking the store
for the morning. There is an old photo from the 19th century of a young woman up on
one of the shelves. It has been documented several different times that a stock person
will noticed the photo frowning (her photo is taken with a straight face) at them along
with a strange wind in the room.

Disneyland - The Disney Gallery -

which is above the Pirates of the Caribbean. Workers have reported that after park
closing and in the early morning, they see a figure of a tall man walking around in the
Gallery. He is believed to be the spirit of Walt himself. Cold spots are also reported by
numerous visitors.

Disneyland - Fire Station - some employees heard foot steps at 2nd floor at night and
someone knocked the door. The 2nd floor is not open for public and it's been an empty
room for several years. -

January 2006 Additional Information: The room above the Disneyland fire station was
built as a place for Walt Disney to stay in while he inspected the park or did park
business. It has all the amenities as an functional apartment for him.

Disneyland - Haunted Mansion -

There are 3 spirits that are in the place all the time, elderly man (who died of a heart
attack in Aug. of 1970 before there was a first aid station on the west side of the park),
an elderly woman and a young man who has quite a sense of humor. There is also
something nasty in the attic just before the omni-movers exit into the graveyard.
Witnesses report having hair pulled in the crypt (exit) area with no one in sight, touched
on the back by a hand in a carthat ended up having no one in the car, seen people walk
up the portrait hall or grand staircase, stop and vanish, faces peer from behind the
corner at the top of the grand staircase, heard footsteps on the false floor behind the
load area when there is no one else there, been touched on the face by unseen hands,
seen a man in the exit mirror.

Disneyland - It's a Small World -

Lights have turned themselves off/on by themselves, as well as the all the dolls moving
without power.

Disneyland - Matterhorn Mountain -

The ghost of a woman named Dolly, she was crushed to death after she fell out of her
sled and was hit by the sled behind her.

Disneyland - Pirates of the Caribbean -

The story goes that a young boy and his mom loved the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
The boy got cancer and his last wishes was that his ashes be spread overthe Pirates
ride. Disneyland rejected that for health reasons but his mother did it anyway. At night
the ride operators can sometimes see a lone boy riding one of the boats on the video
monitors, but when they check it out there is no one.

Disneyland - Space Mountain -

both the ride itself and the women's (employee) locker rooms are haunted by the ghost
of "Mr. One-Way", a guest who died on the Space Mountain ride back in the 1970's. On
the ride, he is described as a large man with reddish hair and a red face, and has been
seen by guests getting into a car with a lone rider, but he vanishes before the end of the
ride.

Disneyland - The Star Trader (4th floor stock room) -

Cast members have felt a cold, eerie wind on the 4th floor of the stock room, when there
are no doors, vents, or windows up there.

Disneyland - the old "People Mover Ride" -

Reports of operating, girls (especially those with long blonde hair) would sometimes
feel an unseen someone pull viciously at their hair. The boy died a few years ago on a
Grad Night when he jumped out of the cabin of the People Mover, got caught and
dragged underneath the car. He grabbed desperately at his girlfriends long blond hair
to save himself.

Disneyland - Tom Sawyers Island -

The ghost (s) of one or two people have been seen on Tom Sawyers Island. At least
three boys (all Grad night victims) have drowned in the Rivers of America.

Disneyland - Tomorrow Land -

Reports of a menacing presence accompanied by cold spots.

Dorrington - Dorrington Hotel -

The original owner, Rebecca Dorrington Gardner can be seen walking through the
dining room. She frequently rings the motion detector. One year the owner decorated
the rooms with fake Christmas trees and Rebecca knocked them over every night. She
once warned the owner of a gas leak in the kitchen. There are also several other ghosts
including those of children. There are a lot of very curious customers at the restaurant

and wait staff encourages it by turning off lights when customers go to the restroom.
Downey - Hollydale - Metal Hospital -

In Downey behind the court house there is an abandoned metal hospital, but for some
reason there is light shining thru, When all the power has been shut off for years now.
When you pass by, you see one curtain closed but then there is also one curtain that
will close when you pass by. There has been People who have gone inside and gone
down stairs, when they went down stairs it was pitch dark, and suddenly books where
being thrown at everyone there.

Downey - West Middle School -

Noises heard in boys locker room. You can hear locker doors slamming when all the
boys leave to physical education, and showers turning on and off. Every once in a
while you can hearthe bathroom stalls flushing when no one is a round.

Downey - Rio Hondo Hospital - This building was closed down about 5-7 years ago.
Extreme hot and cold spots felt, screams heard, doors seem to open and close on their
own accord, and apparitions of people. -

September 2005 Update: The hospital has been torn down and houses are being built
on this site.

Downieville - Downieville River Inn Resort - Room #1 -

is supposedly haunted by one of the former boarders from when the Inn was a
boarding house. Reports of the water turning off and on by its self. Others have
reported someone getting into bed with them, or laying on top of them, only to find no
one there.

Duarte - Spaghetti Factory - Employees of the Spaghetti Factory claim to hear children
playing in the rest room areas in the basement, dishes also fall to the floor, said to be
the children playing games. -

September 2004 Update - emblem on the entrance that reads “Duarte High School
1904.” It was originally built in the early 1900's as a High School and in the 60's it was
abandoned because Duarte high school was built and everyone was sent there
instead.

Dublin - Microdental Laboratories -

the door at the reception desk keeps unlocking it self when a button behind the front
desk is needed to unlock it. The door also appears to have someone push against it
trying to get in even when no body is there.

Dublin - The Outback Steakhouse - Cold spots reported. There is a report of a police
officer being killed there; possibly either right before the restaurant opened or right

after the grand opening, there was a botched robbery and shootout. - March 2004
addition: The Dublin police officer that was shot there on the night of Dec. 11, 1998 was
named John Paul Monego. Please visit his memorial page. Three men from the San
Joaquin valley, which is just overthe Altamont hills to the east of the Tri-Valley where
Dublin is located, robbed the newly-opened Outback Steakhouse and held patrons and
employees hostage. Monego was responding to a 91 1 call made from employees at the
Outback when he was shot several times by one of the three men upon entering the
restaurant. A short while later he died on the scene. His murderers were arrested and
tried for murder.

Dunlap - Dunlap Cemetery -

Cold spots felt around some unmarked graves. Footsteps heard behind witnesses
while walking through middle of cemetery towards entrance. Three tall shadowy figures
of people seen standing by some big oak trees within the cemetery. Witnesses have
recorded a strange voice chanting something over and over and another voice that
sound like an elderly man telling them '"Leave us alone' all of these activities happened
all in one night, the voices were only heard on a tape recorder.” Reported the
witnesses.

Echo Park - Charlie Chaplin Mansion -

This affluent house sits upon a hill overlooking Echo Park. It resides a neighborhood
called Hathaway Hills. The story behind the house is that Charlie Chaplin used to own
the house and sold it for whatever reason? In any case, a man moved in with his family.
And soon afterthe house would lead to his and his family's demise. He came home
from work one afternoon and killed his mother, his wife and children. People describe
the house as a spooky and haunting location. Curious kids went to the house and saw
the same Mercedes Benz crashed into the garage with "police tape" stuck to the side of
the house and front porch. It has been reported that one can see a mirage of the
grandmother and hear the children screaming. There have been other reports of eerie
sounds and sightings of wild animals, for example, a lion. Lastly, the house has a dark
side and lighter sid e. Today one can see a single window with a table lamp on shining
noticeably. The house is an old Victorian style, also it looks like the Psycho house used
in the actual film.

East Highland - The Bethany House -

The Bethany House is an old abandoned Insane Asylum. Since it is far back in the
orange groves, many teenagers used to use it as a place to party around the asylum
but never inside. There have been many stories of hauntings there. One high school
boy once went in to explore the asylum by himself & never came back out. A ghost of a
middle-aged woman has been seen on numerous occasions. She is extremely violent &
known to do harm to people that cross her path inside the insane asylum.

East Los Angeles - 4th St. School Elementary -

There was a ten year old boy who got locked in the little boys room and left there over
night, found the next day strangled. His unexplained death still haunts till this day.

There have been sightings of him playing in the monkey bars late at night. You can also
hear him in the restrooms (boys & Girls) crying, screaming trying to open the doors,
screaming "please let me out".

East Los Angeles - Calvary Cemetery -

Basement of Mausoleum four slabs of marble create demonic vision please research.
East Los Angeles - Casa Del Mexicano -

care taker of the place tells that there are nine ghost ,and at nights when he stays at his
room up in the second floor he hears somebody knocking at the door, foot steps
coming up from the bottom and that lights turn on by themselves. Two people in a
Christmas play saw a Mexican man with jeans, boots and a squared shirt sitting on top
of one of there play house looking at them, they said that it felt cold in that part of stage
but that they continued with the play.

East Los Angeles - Evergreen Cemetery -

Witnesses say that things moving around at night and voices.

East Los Angeles - across from Evergreen Cemetery -

it was a apartment now its reconstructed, but apartment is still there. Chairs move TV,
radio turns on by it self water does also. You can hear footsteps as if you were jumping
off a bunk bed you can see a black shadow with red eyes it changes figures, you can
feel things its a scary unwanted feeling you feel a lot of cold spots.

East Los Angeles - Humphreys Elementary school -

in the lunch are restrooms in the second floor when you are in the restroom alone you
can hear the toilet in the left corner flush by itself the when you look at the toilet to see
blood coming out of the toilet an then the lights go off and on, and then you look again
and there's nothing there - like if it never happen.

East Los Angeles - Linda Vista Hospital -

Old abandoned hospital across from Hollenbeck park on Chicago St. People who go
there have reported seeing lights and hearing a little girl laughing and playing around in
there. Screams, cold spats, noises, cries, moaning, lights coming on and off, noises
could even be heard from the street at night with no one inside. Hospital is sometimes
used for filming by production companies. A doctor has been seen on the main
building, corner window, top floor looking out through the window. He was wearing a
doctor's suit and a tie. Lights go on and off throughout the whole building. There is a
room full of cages and a group of people claimed seeing a mentally ill patient(ghost)
roaming inside a cage in that room. Strange noises are heard around the buildings.

Cold and warm spots are felt in certain places.

East San Jose - Mt. Hamilton View Restaurant-

This restaurant over look the entire Silicon Valley and has been known to light up on its
own when nobody is there. Guest and employees have seen lights flicker on and off in
the dining area and known to see a young girl standing out on the look out balcony.

East San Jose - Quimby Road -

This road is haunted by the Quimby Jogger. He is said to be the ghost of a joggerthat
only runs at midnight.

Eastlake - Chula Vista - Proctor Valley Road -

Haunted by a ghostly figure of a woman wearing a long white dress is occasionally
seen walking along the side of the road. People who have pulled over to offer a ride,
look back to discover she has disappeared.

Edwards Air Force Base - Chapel 2 -

There was a sighting of a slow moving flying black apparition, above Chapel 2 on
Edwards AFB. 2 witnesses claim that the object was hovering 20 feet above the steeple
of the chapel, and it changed direction following the 2 eye witnesses, Once the
witnesses arrived at work they told 2 others about the flying object and went outside to
see that it was still slowly making it's way towards the flight line. It never changed
altitude during the entire sighting and seemed to be on a direct course. The object
made its way to the flight line and went out of sight as it worked it's way away from the
hangar where the witnesses were watching. This all happened on an early Sunday
morning in May of 2007.

El Cajon - Chase -

Balls of light strange smoke smells. This is so real ghost hunters will flock. The pictures
the submitter recorded may not amaze you but they invite you to see what they see
every night. The balls of light show every night.

El Centro - Central Union High School - Gymnasium -

Witnesses have reported that the High School's gym is haunted. Many times after
school, a basketball being bounced as if someone was playing, and accompanied by
the sounds of fans cheering. No one really knows the origin of the basketball game.

El Centro - Central Union High School - Library and Library basement -

Inside the actual library building itself it is almost impossible to go a night without
hearing doors slamming, soft to hard footsteps, and people talking in the rows in the
back of the library. Also, the basement of the library is a dark, damp, maze of rooms and

hallways that was once used for detention back in the early and late 80's. It was
affectionately called the dungeon for footsteps, crying, and laughing were often heard.

El Centro - Crest Theatre -

at night the employees would be spooked by voices talking to them, some nights when
the sound system would be turned off they would become alarmed by the sound
system blasting music. There would also be many cold spots felt in this theatre.

El Centro - Dogwood Rd. -

It is said that if you drive along this road after midnight occasionally you will see a girl
walking alongside the road. If you stop to give her a ride she will get in, sit down, remain
silent and eventually dissipate. However, it is also said that if you do not give her a ride,
she will sit on top of your hood and try to make you crash. Stories say she died in a
grisly accident along that road.

El Centro - Imperial Valley Arts Council -

The Imperial Arts council formerly the old Post office Pavilion now head of the Imperial
Valley Arts Council. This building is located on the centerof the city of El Centro
between the 5th and Brighton streets. The building has a beautiful architectural
baroque Italian renaissance construction style built back in 1920 housing the valleys
local cultural events. A wide 800 square foot basement is found underneath housing
possibly a ghost or unexplained disturbance according to the buildings employees
whom claim at that at early evenings loud noises are heard from the basement like
slamming of doors regardless they are fastened with heavy sand bags impossible to be
"opened" and scratching noises on walls. It is claimed also that these disturbances
may be the cause of hearing the tapping sound of an old typewriter as well. This would
be a interesting story to inv estigate to prove its authenticity and determine if there is a
haunting or if it is a poltergeist. The building is recorded as one of the most historical
buildings in the state to be served. For more information it is recommended to get in
contact the local El Centro Chamber of Commerce or City of El Centro Business
Council.

El Centro - Old Fox Theatre -

it was said that a man had died there and when you would walk down the aisle you
could feel cold spots at about aisle 8

El Dorado - El Dorado Cemetery -

After dark you can SEE orbs, ectoplasm, etc. There is a child's voice that is frequently
heard. One report is of a teen couple who were just " trying to get scared." The young
man looked in the rear view mirror of his car and saw a elderly man leaning on the car
looking in. The young man sped off stopping later to find handprints drug across the
trunk of his car

El Monte - El Monte High -

it is said that a young man hung himself in the schools auditorium in the early 1900's,
late at night it is also said that the piano plays in the band room, in the day time strange
happenings occur during drama practice.

El Monte - Lambert Park-Gymnasium -

There have been numerous accounts from employees and other people of a ghostly
little girl in the attic of the gymnasium. Also, reports of an apparition of a man in the
locker room.

El Monte - Mountain View High School -

Late at night people see shadowy figures running the track, and playing football and if
you look carefully their is a figure hanging from the goal post in the football field.

Elk Grove - Old Downtown Elk Grove Blvd -

There are sightings of a woman dressed in white walking the streets but when you turn
back to look at herface, you see nothing but darkness or no face at all. People have
said that she is seen walking up to the railroad tracks then disappearing.

Encino - Bagel Nosh Restaurant - Formerly L.A. Cabaret -

When it was the comedy club, 2 ghosts were reported. One was a pretty woman,
dressed in the 50s era, sitting in a corner booth in the back of the main showroom. She
always seemed happy & fun loving. The other was a man, usually in the kitchen area &
the control room. One employee working late one night closing the bar & felt a
presence which they associated with the male ghost. The sensation of impending
danger grew in intensity within seconds, so that they ran out the front door. It is not
known if he meant harm or was instead warning them of something, but they had never
felt the feeling of being cold the very core like they did then.

Eureka - Eureka High School Auditorium -

stories have been told of a two restless ghosts that wander the auditorium. The first is
of a man who fell from the balcony during the buildings construction during the 20's
and was decapitated. The second is of a young girl, who after losing the leading role in
the school play of 1954, hung herself in the lighting booth in full view of the actress on
stage. The actress took no notice of the wide eyed corpse in the balcony, and
continued the show.

Eureka - Fort Humboldt -

Large, heavy objects moved across floor overnight. Sighting of former post
commander who died of malaria in 1859 looking out window of old hospital building.
Lights going off, objects falling. Occurrences regularly during 1993 and have been

reported sporadically since 1950's.
Fair Oaks - Sailor Bar - American River

A drowning victim, in wet clothing, approaches visitors. Many drownings have
occurred here. Park Ranger was locking the restroom for the night when this ghost
Appeared, wearing wet fishing clothes, then vanished.

Fairfax - Camp Both in -

It used to be an Indian reservation, then early in the 1 920s, became a hospital for
tuberculosis patients. Now it is used as a Girl Scout camp, but it still has the original
sinks from the hospital. You can hear a ghost of a nurse pushing her cart up and down
the halls, moaning, screaming, appearances and disappearances and some ancient
Indians spirits too.

Fallbrook - De Luz - Santa Margarita River Bridge -

Many Stories haunt the bridge, during the California Gold Rush, a small wagon train
was killed at the river nearthe new bridge. In the early 1900's, the same year Fallbrook
Union High School was first established. On the first Prom night three pairs of teens
disappeared and were laterfound in the river. More than a dozen strange occurrences
are in police reports regarding that area of the river. Once the sun drops below the
mountains there, your life is in danger.

Fallbrook - The Enterprise Newspaper Press Room -

Back in 1962, in the press room, a sick daughter of one of the press workers was
pushed into the presses by an unknown force. To this day an apparition of a small girl
will pull on your pants if you get to close to the presses.

Fallbrook - Jack in the Box -

its said that back in the 60s a bunch of hippies went crazy and brutally attacked and
killed the workers. Now when the store closes you can hear the hippie's music and also
the workers. Then really late at night when no one is there you can hear and smell the
burgers grilling. Also the bathroom door open and shuts forcefully. When you look out
the window you can see an appropriation of a worker cleaning the windows. If you
pass by at 4:34 am the lights go on and you can see the people who died there.

Fallbrook - Fallbrook High School -

Recently Fallbrook Union High School weft through a thorough remodeling. Guess
what made the front page news? A gravesite of what is believed to be a native Indian
Chiefs grave was uncovered just to the right of the new library building. This happened
in September 1999. Since then at night there have been numerous sightings of an orb,
or orbs, howls in the wind, the sight of a pack of coyotes running from the area towards
the ditch just past the portable buildings, even sightings of a teepee. In 2002, there were

14 reports of smoke on campus. Never was there a fire. No one has been hurt by
anything, a couple was shaken up by a pack of coyotes one night after the 2004 Sadie
Hawkins dance though.

Fallbrook - Live Oak Park -

In the park there is a couple of large boulders that were used by Indians to grind
acorns. The acorns were then used to make a sort of bread. The many years of grinding
made indentations into the rocks. The Police department has over 2 dozen reports of
an Indian girl Grinding acorns on these rocks. The reports all very in time of day but the
description of the little girl is always similar.

Fallbrook - Masonic Cemetery -

People have reported to touch some of the trees in the cemetery and they get "a strong
surge of heated energy" as they put it.

Fallbrook - Silvergate Retirement Center -

During construction of a new wing in the center, along w/ voices of children there were
a few minor occurrences. There were also reports from guards of a powerful being,
presumed to be male. This spirit was very violent. One guard reported that it tried to
force him over an opening from the second floor to the first floor that now houses a
fountain.

Ferndale - The Hart Theatre -

The ghost that haunts Hart Theatre is called Bertha and is often seen late at night. One
report claims she takes the form of a phantom cat who strolls down the aisles during
performances. Bertha also performs othertricks such as locking the bathroom door
from the inside and answering the phone at night when no one is there.

Fillmore - Sycamore Tree -

while driving at night around midnight; a woman dressed in white floats right next to
you for about 1/4 of a mile right when you're driving by the sycamore tree. Legend has it
she was hung there during the Mexican-American war.

Fontana - A.B. Miller High School Theater -

Strange blue lights and many other occurrences. Sometimes there is banging from
within the walls and tools ending up in weird places and no one knows how they got
there. Many people say they have seen figures disappear and re-appear and voices in
the catwalk when no one is up there. Legend says that a teenage actress went up into
the catwalk trying to fix a light (for a tech buddy) and fell off the ladder and died
instantly.

Fontana - BIG LOT'S - formerly Pic "N" Save stores - This is the BIG LOT'S store located

off Sierra and Foothill Blvd. this store is haunted by several ghost or spirits. Many
employees claim to have experienced hearing noises in the men's and women's
restrooms things like something falling on the floor while being inside the one toilet
stall and no one else inside the restroom and also the lights being flicked off by them
selves inside the restroom while in use. There have also been noises and voices heard
coming from the break room when the lights are off and no one is in there. Another area
which is considered to be the area with the most activity is the stock room or
warehouse in there several voices have been heard and noises of things falling inside
and things like a former employee who was taking the trash to the back claims she
walked into the warehouse and the light was turned off and as she was walking back
out she felt something or someone pull her hair out of the bun when she walked out of
there her hair was ail messed up and her face was pale that was her last night working
there. Several employees claim to be scared or nervous of walking into the warehouse
at night. All these things happen at night when the store is closed and employees are
cleaning up or late at night when graveyard employees are there. Non of the managers
will support these accusations.

Fontana - Etiwanda Intermediate School -

In the old auditorium, next to what is now a cafeteria, there is a narrow staircase leading
up to an upstairs dressing room. The room contains one window and you will
sometimes catch a glimpse of a young Indian girl standing at that window. The story
states that this young girl of the 70's committed suicide by hanging herself and was
found when someone of the staff spotted a body hanging through the window.

Fontana - Foothill Boulevard - Formerly part of Route 66 -

Between the cross streets Cherry and Citrus, a young man will appear wearing a
striped shirt and carrying a long stick. He then crosses the street right as cars
approach. When the car hits its breaks, the man disappears. Witnesses also claim to
see the ghost walking along the right side of the road. He has a black dog at his side.

Fontana - Mango Elementary School -

They say in back of the school there was a little girl who would go on a tree(it
supposedly had a tree house before) and would go on top of the tree when her parents
would fight. That tree they said she would call her best friend until one day it was a
windy day and she fell to her death. They say at night you can hear her crying for help
and sometimes you can see her fall of the tree. She wears a little white dress and
straight hair.

Fontana - maple elementary -

maple elementary is haunted by this man who stays at the school in the boys bathroom
and messes with the students and teachers during class time.

Fontana - Mary B. Lewis Elementary

the hauntings take place between 1 1pm and 4am. You can hear footsteps when there is
nobody there and in the bathrooms for both boys and girls you can hearthe distinct
sound of a toilets overflowing and even a conversation going on when both the
bathrooms are locked. There are loud bangs in the night and the whispering and the
strange feeling of another presence is felt.

Fontana - Tokay Elementary -

Sounds of construction work at the school. Rumor is that a construction worker died
when it was built.

Fontana - Sequoia Middle School -

In the quad by the lunch tables there sits a little girl crying bouncing a ball. She'll ask
you to play with her and if you say no she will cry blood and start to follow you. This
happens at sun set when there are no employees.

Forest Falls - Fallsvale Elementary School -

Many sightings of the "Ghost Children" have occurred overthe years in the forest that
surrounds the school and the fenced old school that remains on the same property.
Most children who attend the school seem to accept their presence. It's not uncommon
to hearthe children address them by name. The old school a great historical landmark,
is securely fenced and prohibits any public admission.

Fort Bragg - The Entire Area -

supposedly haunted. Custer was supposedly to have passed through Fort Bragg and
they say that he and his army traveled up a steep cliff at pudding creek there's been
sightings of he and his army to have been seen going up the cliff at Pudding Creek and
there is a path that leads to wood walkways head towards the ocean that you can walk
to MacKerricker State Park. That has claimed be have seen a young lady in medieval
clothing walking about searching for her lost lover who died in the civil war and they
say she's been seen wandering around asking if anyone has seen her lover.

Fort Bragg - Glassbeach Inn -

has a chair that has had eerie happenings the lady that owns the inn has said that
people had died mysteriously and not long after they had sat in the chair.

Fort Bragg - Green Acres Park -

Witnesses report hearing humming like a person was singing they kept humming the
same verse over and over several times on different nights They felt a strange chill.

Fort Bragg - The Gold Coast Hotel -

has a ghost 3 the people who work in the hotels bar area say that things like glasses

have moved by themselves mysteriously.

Fort Bragg - The Grey Whale Inn - Formerly the Redwood Hospital -

is said to be haunted by a lady she is often seen roaming around in their garden areas
and there has been the sightings of a man who apparently appears in one of the
windows.

Foster City - Foster City Levee -

About a year ago a man was being chased by the police because he had just shot his
co-worker and then he stopped at the levee, probably the area across from Beachpark
Plaza. He shat himself and died there. Cold winds have been known to brush past
people, leaving the area around you absolutely clear. Gunshots have been heard late at
night and strange shapes and shadows have been seen in all parts of the levee.

Fountain Valley - Fountain Valley High School -

Sometimes at night in the 100 building. Screams of children are heard. Also, some days
when opening the doors, the janitors find lockers open and all the students belongings
on the ground. 5 teachers have left the school since the poltergeist. Many students
have seen apparitions of mutilated dead students in the bathrooms.

Freedom - Hawthorne Lane -

Back in the 1950's a man murdered his wife, and then supposedly disposed her body in
Pinto Lake. Authorities never found her body and the house she was murdered in
remained an untouched murder scene well into the late 1970's. The piano would play
itself and while inside the house you could hear a doorortrunk slam and a carstart but
when you went outside there was nothing except the two cars there since the murder,
which could not possibly run as grass was even growing up through the floorboards.
The house had cold spots nearthe closets where the woman's clothing still hung.

Fremont - Bay Street Salon -

When two of the stylist were the only ones in the salon, the bathroom door would lock
somehow, and they would have to retrieve the key and unlock the door. The toilet
would also flush automatically, and it is not an auto flush toilet, salon was previously a
fire station, and a slaughterhouse.

Fremont - Lord Bradley's Bed & Breakfast Inn -

Noises in the dead of night, heavy footsteps and apparitions. The former owner's
daughter would see figures wearing Victorian style clothing.

Fremont - Morison Canyon Road - When you go down The Canyon road you will find an
off ramp that will lead you down to a creek... That is if you can drive all the way down
the road... As you go down the road you begin to hear knocking and at about halfway

down the road you will start to hear a small boy laughing... Story tells that a young boy
was killed in the basement of a cottage at the end ofthe road. ..he was found by his
parents hanging from the rafters, when his parents called the cops they told them that
there was no body in the house but mass amounts of blood washing up at the creek
banks... Legend tells that if you make it down the canyon you can still see blood
washing up on the creek banks and hear a young boy lauahina... No Trespassing

Fremont - Mission San Jose -

Built in the late 1 700's, Mission San Jose has had a lot of curious history. A fire
destroyed the original Mission, and the 1906 earthquake leveled the old church. Both
have been rebuilt, the church about 12 years ago and the mission in the 1800's. There
are cold spots and mists in the mission itself, uncanny feelings and mists in the
courtyard by the fountain. An old cemetery adjacent to the church is the site of many
disturbances, including unexplained whispers and crying (several Fremont pioneers
are buried here, as well as countless Natives). Also in the church itself, where there are
graves in the floor in the Sanctuary and in front ofthe altar. Severe cold spits are felt
near the graves. Across the street from the mission sits an historic tavern, where
witnesses say they have seen several Native looking people in old clothing cross the
street and disappear as soon as th ey enterthe courtyard ofthe mission.

Fremont - Ohlone Burial Grounds -

You can't enter the grounds because it is fenced off but you can read a large plaque
designating it as an Ohlone Burial ground. Orbs have been photographed. It is down
the road from Mission San Jose, which is very haunted. The Ohlone Indians who died at
the Mission are buried here.

Fremont - Ohlone College -

In the women's bathroom in building 3 there is the ghost of a woman wearing a blue
'60s style dress. She appears in the mirror.

Fremont - Washington High School - old Senior Hall -

the rest ofthe school was recently rebuilt, but the senior hall is part ofthe original plan.
Students in there at night including myself have reported hearing more than one set of
footsteps in the hall, even though they are the only ones in the hall.

Fresno - Adorable Poodle Salon -

This shop had a lot of poltergeist activity when she was there. Large heavy plants that
needed two people to move would be moved when the owner arrived in the morning,
when no one but her had access to the shop. She hired a young woman to wash dogs
for her and the "entity" really took a liking to her. One day my mother was taking a
break when she noticed this girl working on a dog and periodically brushing her hand
away from her neck as if shooing away a pesty fly. The owner watched for a while as

she continued to do this, not seeing anything there, when suddenly, quite annoyed,
this girl said, "would you please knock it off?!" The owner asked her what was wrong
and she replied, "Your damn ghost won't stop kissing me on the neck!" It stopped
kissing her after that. The owner reported cold spots, lights on and off, doors opening
and closing by themselves and a general feeling of being watched when alone in the
building.

Fresno - Muex Home -

This museum is claimed to be haunted by several spirits. It is believed that most of the
haunting is done by the Meux family. There are others whom state different.

Fresno - Pindale Ave -

This street is haunted by the SANDLADY of Pindale who has been seen at night and
believe to for no apparent reason throw sand in the eyes of people walking by. When
they clear their eyes they see that she has vanished. The spirit is believed to look like
an old Spanish lady carrying a small tote bag.

Fresno - Raymond -

There is a haunted (seasonal) fire station in the town. The station was closed and lights
came on inside. A door that would constantly come open.

Fresno - San Juaquin River -

This ghost pretty much have been sighted along the whole river but mostly the
highway 99 overpass by Herndon. A lady and her 2 kids were swimming in the river
back in the 1950's when her kids were kidnapped. Not too long after she died of
allegedly died of sadness. Now her brightly white colored spirit can be seen walking on
top of the water in the river calling for her children. Some say she has the voice of the
wind and the Mexican American community named her the IBRONA.

Fresno - St. John Hall -

The basement is haunted By A Nun, who appears a numerous of times.

Fresno - the Vendo Company -

this is a building that has existed for at least one hundred years. Before it was Vendo it
was Pinedale military base and before that it was a lumberyard and in the beginning it
was Japanese concentration camp. In the mezzanine you get the feeling of someone
putting their hands on you grabbing you ankles, near the cooling tower a Japanese
woman with half of her face rotted off has been seen sitting on a green bench that is by
a plant entrance, the main building is where they were held and tortured. In what now is
receiving is were they were processed and killed there are many body's buried in the
ground that were never removed. Sounds of choking whispering calling out for help,
there is a bathroom up stairs that a Vendo employee hung himself in 7 years ago is still

there as a ghost till this day no one will use the restroom.

Fresno - Roosevelt High School -

This school has 2 ghost, one boy committed suicide in the boys restroom in the east
hall. Then a boy felt to his death in the auditorium while doing a presentation. These
two boys haunt the school.

Fresno - Tyler Street House -

This modest home has been the seen of terrifying poltergeist activity since the mid 80's
and continues to this day. This house has had over 22 different occupants since the
phenomenon started. Some have reported seeing red eyes peer out through closets
and darkened bedrooms. Objects fly off countertops and there has been a bludgeoned
body of a cat has been found time after time in the upstairs closet found by each
resident that has lived here even if they do not own a cat or any animals.

Fullerton - Albertsons -

Sometimes, when all workers leave, cans of food come flying off the shelves leaving a
huge mess forthe workers to clean up. Also there has been sightings of a old man with
a cane who moans and groans. As it stares you in the face, it fades away.

Fullerton - Cal State Fullerton dorm -

Saw small green glowing balls around 2am sometimes. Heard tapping on the wall
adjoining to the room next doorwhen everyone in the apartment was gone. Heard
noises (such as dishes clattering, taps/knocks, "voices") when nobody else was home.
Always had the feeling that someone was watching you from behind but nobody was
ever there.

Fullerton - Melody Inn -

On the southeast corner of Harbor and Commonwealth where the old Melody Inn was
destroyed by fire in the 80’s an image of the former owner’s father appears with a box of
matches. The ghost of Mr. Melody has actually been known to provide a light of a
smoke to customers outside the new businesses and then smiles and vanishes.

Fullerton - The Fox Theater Building -

the old Fox Theatre building is rumored to have Michael O’Donnell’s ghost guarding the
kids in the neighborhood from violence. Michael O’Donnell was the son of travel
agency founder Dorothy O’Donnell who had a troubled life with substance and drink
but a genuine love people, especially kids in a rough area. He is said to be seen in the
lobby of the theatre and sometimes leaning against a wall reading a book.

Fullerton - Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity House -

The spirit of a little girl who was murdered in the ravine next to the house has been said
to wanderthe house at night, sometimes turning on water taps, turning on and off
lights, opening and shutting cabinets. Sometimes her laughter is heard in summer
afternoons.

Fullerton - Plummer Auditorium -

The tunnels that run underneath Fullerton are accessible from Plummer Auditorium as
well as other spots in Fullerton. Many people will tell you of the "Tunnel Ghosts". These
people are from many different eras. One gentleman from WWII is said to follow visitors
towards the exits, when they reach the final exit lights, he vanishes.

Fullerton - Ralph's store -

A former worker reports boxes moving on their own & old spots.

Fullerton - Stadium Tavern -

A "ghost" inhabits the basement / cellar, often calling names of workers cleaning up
after hours, and has been seen/ reported by many.

Garden Grove - Garden Grove High School -

Rumor has it that the ghost of a girl named Lizzy haunt the Heritage Hall in the E
building. It was reported that in 1933 while Lizzy was exiting from the building, the Long
Beach earthquake took place and pieces of the building fell on top of her. Lizzy was
crushed and died instantly. Janitors and teachers of the school reported hearing
voices, doors slamming, even apparition of a girl in a dress while working there at night.

Garden Grove - Garden Grove High School - E Building -

Believed to be haunted by Lizzy. Reports say she has turned on the alarms and has
also tripped and pushed people down the hall. When they opened up the trap door
underneath the building, they could see foot prints in the 2 inch thick dust walking into
the dark. After the earthquake it's now just a 1 story building. Where the 2 former
stairwells used to be are just blacked out skylights. Rumor is that the bottom halves or
the original doors are still attached too.

Garden Grove - Midnight Adult Books -

Supposedly a man was stabbed during a bad drug deal back when the property
belonged to a nightclub. Three Adult bookstores all owned by one company sit next to
each other where that club used to be. Employees have reported sightings of a man in
a cowboy hat who has a tendency of entering occupied video booths and not being
there when the clerks react, since no more than one person is allowed in a booth at a
time. Also the stores experience odd noises at night and have the odd object fall off of
shelves as well as shadowy shapes moving about every now and again.

Georgetown - American River Inn -
haunted by the ghost of an old miner.

Georgetown - Georgetown Fire Department Station 61 -

A man from the Mining Days of Georgetown was captured on digital camera, standing
nearthe historic Fire Department building. He smiled happily and pointed at the map on
the buildings side while volunteer fire fighters practiced ladder drills.

Georgetown - Georgetown Hotel -

Woman who lost her lover committed suicide in the miner days and jumped from the
upstairs balcony. She is still reported to be seen in the upstairs rooms.

Geyserville - Warm Springs Fish Hatchery -

Reports of an elderly Indian couple roaming the grounds. The main building was
haunted by a ghost (woman) who called the employees names and changed the radio
station, four houses there had their own encounters with ghosts. The shower came on
all times day or night in one house. One of the other houses reportedly had a spirit of a
child that climbed in the bed them.

Gilroy - Bonfante Gardens -

At night afterthe park is closed, workers have seen a small carousel in Claudia's
Garden turn on all by itself. Lights, music, everything.

Gilroy - Chictactac-Adams Interpretive Park -

Chitactac-Adams Interpretive Center, on Watsonville Road, is the site of an Indian burial
grounds now buried under the asphalt parking lot, drivers have reported that at night
while driving by, that their air conditioners in their cars will suddenly turn on & blast
cold air upon them. There are trails to take through the park to see ancient rock
carvings made by the once native Ohlone tribe. This was once the main village for the
area.

Gilroy - hwy 152 (blood alley) -

There have been numerous sightings of a woman searching for her child, hearing the
sound of a stage coach and the snorting and breathing of horses, and a rumor that a
woman was killed by a truck driver and she appears in the passenger seat of the truck,
screams" and then vanishes.

Gilroy - Mt. Madonna State Park -

Mansion ruins and surrounding area are Haunted by Former owner Henry Miller and
Daughter, Daughter has been seen in open fields riding a horse, She was killed on site

while riding a horse, she fell and broke her neck. There has been ghostly visions on
horse back in mist seen floating in Hills for decades. Also reported, an unidentified man
called the kiask at the park to report this strange sighting to park employees. He stated
that he and a companion were driving down Pole Line rode which runs through the
park at about midnight, along side the wooded road a girl in a long white prom dress
was walking.

Gilroy - Old Gilroy Hotel -

There are 2 ghosts that haunt this building. A woman in her 20's and a little girl. Story
goes, when the building was a hotel a man went in and raped and killed 2 people. The
woman is seen at the top of the stairs, and the little girl is seen in the hallway, footsteps
are heard, the electric piano's keys are struck when it is not plugged in, lights go on
and off, the little girl is sometimes seen looking out the window, one employee recalls
being touched on the back of the neck by one of the ghosts. Doors rattle as though
someone is locked inside and can't get out.

Gilroy - South Valley Jr. High School -

Inside old ROP building in the hallway footsteps were heard by the nightshift
employees. Upon investigation no one was located in or around the area.

Glen Ellen - Wolf House - Jack London's House -

The feeling of the place was one of dread. Visions of seeing the house in flames and
hearing cries for help.

Glen Ellen - rail road crossing -

It's said that in Glen Helen by the rail road tracks if you put your car in neutral with your
car not facing the rail road tracks and wait two through three minutes it is said that the
ghosts of six kids will start to push your car slowly at first, then with a rapid speed they
will try to get you to the tracks, if you try to stop, it is difficult if they have gained their
full speed! You can verify this by driving to the nearest gas station and if you look
closely you can see their little hand prints!

Glendale - Brand Park -

The park used to be the estate of the brand family, with the library having been the
mansion they lived in. There is a trail behind the house leading up in to the hills. If you
follow it, it will take you to the family cemetery. Mr. Brand's tomb is a large pyramid
where occult activity is pretty common. Also, further up in the hills is what looks to be a
3-foot tall stone watchtower.

Glendora - Bennett Home -

It belongs to the Daughters of the American Revolution and after having purchased the
residence in 1982 at their first monthly tea, they all reported having seen the apparition

of a lady whom was a former resident, in the early 1910s'.

Glendora - Glendora High School -

a boy student in the mid 90's left a suicide note to his parents early in the morning and
he brought a gun with him. On a foggy morning the boy shot him self on the black top
straight across from the boys locker room where the portable class rooms are. One
teacher who used to teach in one of those class rooms said from the corner of his eye
he saw a boy sitting in the desks and when he looked up the boy was not there. When
the teacher went on brake the teacher who was in the class next to his asked, "what
was all that banging in your class room?" after that the teacher knew that something
was up and found out his old class room is on the location were the boy shot him self.

Glendora - Wal-Mart -

This Wal-Mart is said to be built on an Indian burial ground, and the story appeared in
the local newspaper. An employees working in the garden center heard the door alarm
went off about ten times and felt cold gusts of air through the room. There were only
three workers there with the doors closed and all of them experienced the same thing at
the same time.

Gorman - Gorman School -

Rumors that a little girl had died on the land some time ago. When they built the school,
they built the cafeteria over where she was buried. The exact spot where she was
buried, it is said that the cement never dried and is always wet. She also has fun with
the kids and teachers there. Sometimes she has been seen running around the school.

Granada Hills - 118 Freeway eastbound -

Apparitions of a family of 4 (mom, dad, 2 kids) standing at the side of the freeway, all
looking lost and forlorn, but with no broken-down car in sight. When you pull up to help
they are gone.

Grass Valley - The Holbrooke Hotel -

The downstairs reception hall is said to be haunted by spirits that drag chairs across
the floor, turn lights on and off and voices are heard when no one is down there. The
hotel was built in the 1800's and has hosted presidents, actors and was at one time a
brothel. Arietta Douglas supposedly haunts the dining room named after her. Many of
the hotel rooms are haunted by former guests who made the hotel a second home.

Grass Valley - Jack in the Box - People that had worked there for years say that odd
things happened at night there, but the submitter to the haunted place passed it off as
"hazing the new girl." There's one ghost they call the "Miner". He liked to turn off the
soda fountain at the drive through during busy times. They have also heard children's
laughter in the lobby afterthe doors are locked. Offerings of toys left on the tables are
moved or disappear. They also looked up one night and saw their reflection in the

window, along with the indistinct reflection of someone standing behind them, but no
one was there when they turned around. -

February 2004 Update: The Jack in the Box has been leveled and rebuilt.

Grass Valley - North Star Mine Lodge - Was converted into a Christian boarding school
in the 1960's. It was shut down in the mid 80's. Doors opened and closed by
themselves drastic temperature changes pictures flew off walls windows opening and
shutting these events were witnessed by quite a few of the other students often by
groups of us at one time the temperature changes and things flying off the walls seem
to occur at the same time. -

September 2004 update: Someone has bought this lodge and is planning to restore it
and open it as a lodge again, but it is heavily guarded now and its not a good idea to go
up there anymore.

Grass Valley - the Round Room -

proceed past the fairgrounds 5 miles to the dump, left on next road (Wolf Mountain) and
take it to a 1/4 mile before you see it dead end at the top of the mountain, sharp left on
short dirt driveway, you will reach the round room. Supposedly an old watertank, this
place has been a local legend for many years. Cold spots and apparitions reported. The
acoustics inside will amaze you. Story goes that Dr. Anton LaVey (founder of church of
Satan) moved his commune here in the late sixties, and held seances and rituals in this
room for several years. All inquiries made by the submitter of this haunted place to
validate this through the church of Satan were denied, and was told they had no
knowledge of such events. However, the locals that have been here forever swear it to
be true. Whatever the veracity of its history may be, the round room has a deep and
pervading negative prese nee, and be careful, there have been several murders there
overthe years, reportedly by people in white robes. Blood found but no bodies. Truth
taken to the grave, please be safe.

Groveland - The Groveland Hotel - The Bed & Breakfast is haunted by the ghost of an
old miner named "Lyle". Lyle died in his sleep in his own room and hasn't left since.

You can stay in "Lyle's room" at the Groveland and possibly have your makeup thrown
off the dresser or the water faucet turning off & on mysteriously. Lyle does not like
people, especially women, in his room. -

March 2005 Correction: Lyle does really like people and loves to play with them. He just
abhors women's cosmetics on his dresser and will move them over to the sink. He
wanders all around the hotel and can be found watching overthe chef and popping
open the convection oven doors when the bread is perfect (the chef forgot to set the
timer). He will take a shower when no one is watching, but the water is running, he
watches over guests as they are falling asleep and checks to make sure everything is
ok (repor ted by guests in Room 9), created a hair-raising experience for a group of 18
guests on a FAM trip from the UK by dimming the lights in the dining room several
times, then sending a sharp chill from the ceiling, causing everyone in the room to

gasp.

Guerneville - Mays Canyon Road- The stories began around June of 1991. One night a
young man was driving along Mays Canyon Road when he thought he spotted a
woman standing in the middle of the road. She appeared suddenly; at first he believed
he'd hit her, but later realized he'd passed through her figure with his vehicle. Not long
after -- perhaps a few months — a girl (who had no knowledge of the previous sighting)
was walking along the road at twilight when she encountered a woman walking the
opposite direction. The woman asked the girl if she knew some of the other boys who
took walks down Mays at nighttime, and the girl replied that she did. They chatted
briefly and parted ways. Later, it was discovered that her description of the woman
matched that of the woman who had been "run over." Because so many people have
described dangerous or frightening experiences on Mays Canyon Road, many of the
detai Is where chosen to be left out. -

The submitter realizes this is frustrating, but they believe Mays can be a dangerous
place and don't want to cause anyone else to become hurt by visiting the site and
playing with the energies that are present. Always use extreme caution.

Half Moon Bay - Highway 92 -

When driving up 92(near Skyline Cemetery) at around 3:00 A.M you will feel a cold hand
on your shoulder. When you look in your rearview mirror you'll see a woman sitting in
your back seat. It is said that she was killed in a automobile accident in the 70's. They
say she's looking fora ride home.

Hanford - Bastille -

Now a bar, used to be a jail. People died in there and now tend to haunt the bar and
frighten the cooks in the kitchen. New stairs leading to the bathroom become old and
frail on occasions.

Hanford - Calvary Cemetery -

there is a mausoleum in that cemetery that opens up every Friday people and tourists
come to see this strange building they come to visit friends family and to look around
the building there has been some feelings of strange entities in the mausoleum some
people claim to hear voices and others claim to see strange sightings of spirits that
have been there for over 47 years there has been a strange lady in a white dress
circling the building since the early sixties if someone can come and check it out and
take a picture you wont know what you will catch.

Hanford - Hanford Civic Auditorium -

When first entering the Civic Auditorium, there can be felt very cold breezes that pass
by even when all windows are closed. In the boys bathroom, there can be heard men
talking about legal issues when no one is around and occasionally, a lawyer in a older

style brown suit and rugged briefcase can be seen on Christmas day. Windows with
latches come undone by themselves, and the windows will open and close and re-latch
on its own. Within the Auditorium itself, ghosts can be seen on the upper balcony
watching an invisible show. The most noted person was a man in a black suit with a
white shirt on; he has dark brown hair and brown eyes, with a black mustache. He is
often seen applauding for an invisible show, and once done applauding he vanishes.

Hanford - the old Hanford Sentinel Building -

not much is known about the old Hanford sentinel building now but it is said that a
ghost inhabits the building people said they sometimes hear noise in the building.

Hanford - Irwin Inn -

Now a restaurant, the Irwin Street Inn is home to at least 3 ghosts. There are occasional
slamming of windows, moving of bed sheets, switching on and off lamps. Sometimes
ghosts can be seen in the dining area and on the second floor.

Hanford - Irwin and Bush intersection-

sights of an old man in a chair back in the hallway booming and laughing sounds and
flickering lights creaking on stairs when your not around them. If you go to the second
floor you will see and hear ghost and feel cool winds.

Hanford - Kings River Bank -

A ghost has been seen by the workers.

Hanford - Old Mental Hospital on Irwin St. -

The ghost of the head nurse can be seen pacing on the front porch. If you sit on the
front steps, she will come out and talk to you and then ask you to leave. There is no
power going into the house, but a white light can be seen thru the front window and a
red light thru the back porch window (these windows are not aligned, so it is not the
same light).

Harbor City - Harbor Park - aka Duck Pond-

Its been said that at this park you can sell yoursoulto the devil and as a matter offact
its been also said that there was a "rap singer" that sold his soul and became real
famous. They say that the devil comes to you in the best of manner and has a very
pleasant smell.

Hawthorne - Hawthorne High school -

In Nyman Hall you sometimes see an old woman in black wandering around there. And
also lights go off an on mysteriously. In the girls bathroom by building seventeen you
can hear the sounds of a girl weeping. In the same bathroom the toilets flush and the

water turns on and off.

Hawthorne Blvd - Redondo Beach - General Cinema Theater I -

It is no longer used. The stock room could not be kept clean; boxes would always be
opened, overturned, and/or dumped on the floor. The faucet would turn on and off by
itself. Behind the concession stand, you could feel someone brush past you and bump
into you as you were working and the cabinets would be padlocked at night and would
be open in the morning, with the contents disheveled and strewn about.

Hayward - Cal State University -

Ghosts are seen near Robinson Hall around 10pm. A male & female who are not shy.
The female is said to wear a "little bo peep" costume.

Hayward - General Cinema Southland - The theater is haunted by George. He haunts
theatre 4 and 5 and the upstairs. -

March 2008 update: has been torn down. 3 restaurants have recently been built on that
location across from the mall.

Hayward - Hayward Plunge -

In the late 1960's a swim coach who taught at the indoor pool next to the memorial park
kidnapped all of his kids that he was teaching and led them to this creek that is along
side the trail in the back of this park and left them there, told them to wait that he'd be
back. The kids stayed there all night until there were no more people around. The swim
coach returned and murdered them in the woods and left their bodies in the creek. It is
said that if you walk through the park at nighttime up the trail about 200 yards, you will
witness many strange things. Mini- rockslides will occur in strange spots, you will find
yourself in cold spots and see dark shadows, as you reach the circle clearing, stop and
listen for a few minutes. You will hear the children's footsteps all around you, some
laughing and running, some crying and pleading for your help.

Hayward - Lone Tree Cemetery -

Faces have been seen in the bushes. Strange noises heard inside the graveyard.
Things have been moved from headstones to unexplainable places. Whispering and
thumps heard when walking through the main part of the cemetery. Lights flash and
bells chime. Strange movements and dark shadows in the distance. A few orbs have
been seen with the naked eye. Many came out on the camera. Strange noises heard on
the video when played back.

Hayward - Southland General Cinema -

A former employee named George is said to haunt the upstairs and theaters 4 and 5.
Children sometimes come out crying saying they saw someone when there was no one
there. The theater is no longer Open.

Hayward - Vic Hubbards -

An Employee was killed by a dropped engine block, some employee's say he haunts
the warehouse behind the shop. Haunting includes "clowning on ricers", "stealing
altezza lights"

Healdsburg - Madrona Manor -

This Victorian era hotel is the home of a ghost that lives in one of the ground floor
rooms. A little girl does no harm and her history is unknown.

Heber-Old HeberSchool House -

Noises such as stomping and eraser banging are heard especially at night. Before the
windows were completely broken off, there was one front window that was broken in
the shape of a women.

Hemet - Hemet High School Theatre -

The resident ghost of the theatre, Christine, has left messages on the walls and on the
roof. She has also been seen onstage and in the backstage areas. Usually she is
personified as a white blurry figure that people see wandering the stage.

Hemet/San Jacinto - Entire Valley -

In the late 1800s the San Jacinto Valley (Hemet & San Jacinto) was the home of
Ramona and Alessandro (Helen Hunt Jackson). When Alessandro was shot and killed
Ramona cursed the valley saying that no one born here would ever be able to leave.
There were only three routes out of the valley back then. A fourth was added in later
years. To this day anyone born and raised in the valley that has left by way of one of the
original three "exits" has said to experienced an irresistible urge to return and once
they do they end up in a financial position preventing them from leaving again. But
those who have left by way of the fourth route manage to stay gone.

Hemet - Santa Fe Menlo Cemetery -

Strange lights have been seen accompanied by strange electrical feelings.

Hermosa Beach - Prospect Street School -

Now used as storage for the city, witness have reported hearing little children's voices
but the school has longed been closed

Highland Park - Franklin high school -

Reports of the apparition of a girl in white.

Hollywood - Laurel Canyon -

There have been numerous reports overthe years regarding an intersection on Laurel
Canyon, on several occasions at the intersection of Laurel Canyon and Lookout
Mountain Dr. people have witnessed an old carriage pulled by white horses that seems
to dart out onto the canyon road from Lookout Mountain as though the horses are at a
full speed gallop only to disappear causing car accidents.

Hollywood - All Star Cafe -

There have been many sightings of sprits in the All Star Cafe. In the Ladies Vanity
Room, there have been cold spots and lights flashing out of no where. There were also
a few sightings of a little girl and boy running around the cafe and suddenly
disappearing.

Hollywood - Beachwood Drive Apartments -

Ghost of an old man is seen walking the central staircase.

Hollywood - Chateau Marmont -

Famous hotel from the 20's that has been home to every legend from Howard Hughes,
Marilyn Monroe, Boris Karloff, Jim Morrison and of course is famous for site of John
Belushi's death. Every kind of phenomena has been witnessed here.

Hollywood - El Capitan Theater -

suicide in balcony seats. ..energy from suicide seat felt. Weird evil feeling in downstairs
lobby at night, old manager died in office (now gone) Disney cannot get rid of sighting
of ghost of manager.. .so they walled off window where ghost was seen from the street,
above entry way doors. Projectionist died. ..ghost seen.

Hollywood - El Compadre Restaurant -

There have been sightings of two ghosts who walk near the piano after closing. The bar
is also haunted by some unknown presence by the large mirror in the wall.

Hollywood - Hollywood Forever Cemetery -

This cemetery is mainly used to bury old stars of the silver screen. One such star,
Valentino, is visited by a "lady in black." She has been reported to take Valentino, the
heartthrob actor of the silent 20's era, exactly 2 long-stemmed red roses. She is never
disturbed and walks into the mausoleum at night, every night. This is one ghost that
can be counted upon to be seen.

Hollywood - Hollywood High School -

A young boy that goes by the name of Toby committed suicide after his girlfriend left
him for someone else. Many teachers and students have reported hearing doors open
and close by them selves, loud hammering, objects moved from one place to another, a

shadow roaming around the auditorium (where he hung himself from) and unexplained
sounds coming from the second floor. Another young man reportedly drowned in the
pool and has been seen walking around the gym hall and pool.

Hollywood - Hollywood Mann's Chinese Theatre -

Noises heard near the employees locker room, flickering lights. People believe it to be
the spirit of a worker that hung himself in the early 1900's.

Hollywood - Hollywood sign and Griffith observatory -

Two people have committed suicide of the Hollywood sign and there have been many
sightings of weird looking figures and lights by the sign late at night. From the Griffith
observatory, you can see the sign very well and employees there have reported
sightings of ghosts by the sign.

Hollywood - Immaculate Heart High School -

Sometimes individual students see the shadow of the nun when the closet's open In
the drama room. The sound of footsteps on the stage has been reported. One
technician has claimed to feel a cold breeze sweep across his neck while on the cat
walk.

Hollywood - KCET studio -

It has been said that a woman and two children haunt one of the studios. My father
used to work there. He would come back for lunch and things would be moved. For
example the big rolls? of heavy wire that cannot be moved by even one or two people.
They came back one time to find a of wooden beam props moved from one side of the
studio to the next - impossible. He also said things would drop dangerously close to his
head.

Hollywood - Mann's Chinese Theater -

The Ghost of actor Victor Killian, roams the sidewalk here, looking for the man who
murdered him. There were odd things that happened in the main theatre. Between
shows when workers would be cleaning the auditorium, they would often see out of the
corner of their eyes black shapes that would "fall" from the ceiling. Upon investigation
there would be nothing there. Also random times women and employees wouldn't want
to go down into the women's restroom. They would begin to feel odd and then change
their minds about going down the stairs.

Hollywood - Mullholand Drive - Errol Flynn's Former Estate -

Residents in the neighboring homes have reported lights of all shapes and colors on
the property. And noises of that of a social gathering or gala party going on. The most
active month is usually August, when these noises are heard on almost a nightly basis.
Very amusing considering that all that is left of the home is the foundation and a tennis

court.

Hollywood - Roosevelt Hotel -

A stop at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is a must, as at least two famous, and several
not so famous ghosts reside there. The hotel's most famous haunting concerns a
mirror which sits outside the elevators on the hotel's lower level. The mirror originally
was part of the furnishings in a room which was frequently used by Marilyn Monroe.
Several people have reported seeing the tragic actress' image reflected in the glass of
this particular mirror.

Hollywood - The Comedy Store -

Was once a famous nightclub and restaurant in the 30's/40's and the basement is said
to be haunted with an evil entity.

Hollywood - Todd A/O building -

Apparently a worker back in the 70's committed suicide in the building. Lights turn on
and off. Things move on desks sometimes even disappearing when no one is watching
and chairs roll around on their own. Security guards forthe facility confirm that some
nights a figure can be seen roaming the halls and a quiet mumbling voice is often heard
through out the facility. Todd A/O is a final dub stage for the film industry and has been
around since the 60's

Hollywood - Universal Studios -

Lon Chaney Sr.'s ghost is often seen running in the catwalks above the stage, he is
often wearing a phantom-like cape. He usually lets his presence be known by opening
and closing doors, flickering lights off and on. One strange event that happens is the
tinkling of a chandelierthat was removed from the set years ago, one of the original
props from the movie.

Hollywood - Universal Studios - Back to the future ride -

Employees will clean the area and close doors to the ride rooms. A few minutes later
they will go back to find candy wrappers on the floor and doors opened. Employees
also experienced cold spots. An employee stated a little girl died on the ride due to an
illness.

Hollywood - Vogue Theater -

Built in 1935 and opened as an 800 seat movie theatre in 1936. Nine entities have been
documented since August of 1997. Six children, an adult female and two adult males.
Entities are extremely active and communicative, allegedly including one particular
spirit identified as "Fritz," a projectionist at the theater, who died in the projection
booth. Other ghosts here include a maintenance engineer, as well as a school teacher
and her students who were killed almost a century ago when Prospect Elementary

School (which used to stand on the site) burned down. The Vogue has been featured
on numerous network TV broadcasts, and it is claimed that most film crews have had
paranormal experiences inside the Vogue. (6675 Hollywood Blvd., east of Highland.)

Hollywood - Wattles Mansion -

There used to be a bus stop right in front of the property, but it had to be moved
because there were many complaints of screaming, and mysterious sounds of horses
galloping and whinnying all night long. An apparition of a woman has also been seen
on the grounds at night.

Hollywood - Wax Museum -

during a trip to the museum, there were people there that were saying that they felt cold
spots, lights going off and on and voices, right by the last supper.

Humboldt - Eureka - Granada convalescing hospital -

October 2007: this submission has been removed

Huntington Beach - Bolsa Chica Wetlands -

An apparition of a boy about 1 1 to 1 3 years old dressed in all white has been seen
around a bomb shelter, and when spotted he will run around a corner and disappear.

Huntington Beach - Edison High School -

At night when driving by the Edison track on Magnolia Street strange lights can be seen
dancing around the baseball field. As well apparitions of what to appearto be people on
the back soccer field. In the boy's locker room in the early morning showers turn on
and off on their own plus lockers rattle and bang.

Huntington Beach - Ethel Dwyer Middle School -

is said to be haunted by the ghost of Ethel Dwyer, a woman who went to school there
as a girl and was then a teacherthere as well. When one drives by the school they can
often see lights on in various rooms where none should be on and strange, paranormal
sounds are sometimes heard coming from the school boiler room.

Huntington Beach - Huntington Beach High School -

Young man named George hung himself in the middle of a play in the auditorium. If he
doesn't know you will be performing, he will play tricks on you or hurt you. Performers
must sign a paper and put it where his rope is. If the rope is removed, the next play will
be ruined. Sets have fallen, been broken, and disappeared with no way to take them out
in the first place. People forget lines, lose their voice, are hit with falling sets or lights
(never fatal). Nooses used in a play will undo themselves.

Huntington Park - St. Mathias Mission House

it use to be the home of an elderly couple who also died in here many years ago. Many
people have seen an old person at the mirror in where their living room use to be. A lot
of people have herd footsteps, weird moans and sounds, things fall and lights turn on
and off when no one is in the room.

Idyllwild - Idyllwild Arts Academy - McNeale Hall -

The main boys dorm at Idyllwild Arts Academy has been reported to be haunted. Some
of the occurrences have been: hearing running in the hall after lights out, hearing
strange voices, items being moved, as well as being touched by something when no
ones there.

Imperial - Imperial Historic Cemetery -

If you go out there late at night, you get the feeling of being watched, It Feels so much
colder once you enter the grounds, there are really weird warm and cold spots in the
graveyard, seems kind of unnatural. It makes you want to leave right away. Stories of
people taking photo's out there and getting weird lights in them. Also of a monk like
figure by the entrance. Sometimes 1 to 3 shadow hooded figures, are seen late at night
by the front entrance to the left by the brick triangle, there are cold spots in the same
area. You get a eerie feeling of impending doom and of being watched and not being
welcomed. Weird lights have been seen there floating across the graveyard from
greenish blue to fire like red. A flame like mist has been seen coming out of grave sights
and then going back into the ground. Camcorders sometimes turn off even though fully
charged. It is ve ry unsettling.

Imperial - Sunset Ranch Estates - Cemetery -

A light from the cemetery is seen every night. At some angles it is green, others its
orange. It looks like its moving - like someone is carrying it.

Imperial Valley - Along the canals and streams -

The canals of the Imperial Valley are said to be the home of La Llorona, which in
English means The Crying Lady. She was said to be Malinche, the wife of the Spanish
conquistador Cortez. An Indian maiden who was taken by lust during his stay, who
also bore him 2 children. It was when Cortez was to return to Spain and told Malinche
that he would take the children and not her back to Spain that she temporarily went
insane and killed her own 2 children to prevent Cortez from taking them. She then
disposed of their bodies in a nearby river. It is said, that after death she is supposed to
walk along the canals and rivers crying looking for her lost dead children. Reports
describe her as a long slender ethereal woman dressed in a white tattered dress.
Reports have come from all over the Imperial Valley.

Indio - Indio High School -

Indio High has been around since the early 60's. A former caretaker reports many
experiences. One occurred late one rainy night in the front entrance of the school, it is
an open space with a once fountain turned garden in the 90's. One Rainy night he was
out doing his job cleaning up classrooms and campus when from the corner of his
eyes he saw two figures in the distance sitting at the fountain talking and kissing. He
thought this was odd considering its near midnight, it's raining, and at the time the
school was practically in the middle of the desert. So with out taking his eyes off of
them he began to approach them to ask them if they might need a ride or shelterfrom
the rain. As he got halfway nearthe fountain the male figure wearing a varsity jacket
turned to him, the girl wearing a pretty prom like dress stood up and turned towards the
caretaker, that's when he realiz ed they hadn't been affected by the rain... there clothes
were completely dried and puffy! They faded away and disappeared. In the late 1970's
or early 80's a group of students were returning home from prom night, the driver didn't
see a ditch in the road and hit it, the car flipped killing 2 girls, 2 boys, and leaving the
fifth person in the car in coma for several years when she finally came-to she was left a
vegetable. Later she died at the age of 27 in her home. If you want to research this info
your welcomed to do so at the Indio Library, and Indio High School library.

Inglewood - Inglewood Park Cemetery -

sightings of supernatural beings and noises heard throughout the large cemetery.
Employees have seen strange and somewhat supernatural occurrences. One such
incident occurred when an employee tried to approach a woman who seemed lost but
disappeared before he could approach her.

lone - Youth Prison - an eerie feeling has been reported. An old abandoned youth
prison has been closed since 1960. It used to house youth offenders. - February 2007
Additional Information: this place is currently under construction and is technically not
abandoned the current youth prison was moved down the hill. ..but is under the same
owner ownership. - Preston Castle the current youth prison Division Board

Irvine - BlackStar Canyon -

It's located behind Irvine park and the signs that say "no authorities will help you
beyond this point" is a main reason why people don't go in. It's supposed to be home
of the "KKK" and strange sightings and noises are heard such as running and
screaming. Also lion type figures are said to be walking on the mountain tops.
"Warning" If you do plan to go take flashlights because it's is freakishly dark (a sort of
weapon would also be a good idea)

Irvine - Irvine High School Theatre -

A very talented drama student died suddenly back in the 1 970's. To this day, people
working in the theatre at night say that the friendly spirit often sits in the center of the
house and can sometimes be seen as a green faintly glowing region of the seating.

Irvine - Orange Tree patio homes -

Oriental Man walking his dog, and practicing his golf swings walks by the pool areas
almost every night at 10:30pm.

Irvine - University of California Irvine - Campus Dr. -

when driving alone at night your car will stall and a woman will stand at your window,
she asks you for help to find her daughter but for some odd reason, her mouth doesn't
move, you just hear her subconsciously, you cant refuse because well, she ends up in
the passenger seat anyway, the story behind it is that a woman was looking for her
child after being kidnapped and she found out that her daughter was raped and killed,
she was in denial about it so she kept looking for her. she was walking along campus
dr. and went down to the ditch and never came back up.

Irvine - Woodbridge High School -

there has been sightings of a large black apparition roaming the school sometimes if
you see it you must get far away from it sometimes the apparition will get mad and
throw school trashcans around.

Jamestown - The Willow Steak House -

The Willow Hotel reportedly has been haunted since the 1800s. Under the Hotel an old
gold mine caved in and killed 23 miners, and now the hotel is haunted by these miners.

Joshua Tree - Joshua Tree Inn-

Objects shake, move by themselves and sometimes disappear only to reappear later.
Keddie - Keddie Resort -

The unsolved murder of a family took place in cabin #28, and that writing appears on
the walls of the cabin, along with chairs moving and other phenomenon. The once
deserted resort is being renovated by a new owner, although cabin #28 has
supposedly been demolished after being condemned. A reader reports being there on
Jan.24, 2003 and cabin #28 still stands.

Keene - Keene Hospital -

The old abandoned hospital can be found off dirt roads in the back of the small town of
Keene. It was once a huge TB hospital that housed so many victims that it was
eventually forced to close. Legend has it, that in the children's ward you can hear kids
laughing and talking. In the rest of the building, strange voices and noises can be
heard.

Kelso - Kelso Depot -

when the place was abandoned and closed down you could see a man walking
upstairs. It has been told that many of years ago a man hung himself in room #6 and to

this day is a strange stain on the wall in that room.

Kerman - Kerney Mansion -

In this small town there is a historical place called Kerney Mansion. Built around 100
years ago Mr. Kerneys mansion is surrounded by trees. Railroad tracks nearthis
mansion are definitely haunted. Seen by many eye witnesses, if you cross over these
railroad tracks at night you will definitely see the Kerney witch who lives near by
wearing all white pleading for the cars to stop. Legend has it that she will follow your
car or you as you pass her, and if you look into her eyes, you'll die.

Kerman - Kerney Park -

Witnesses have heard the laughter of children as if they were playing when none are
present at 1 :30am.

Kern - Arvin - Arvin Mortuary -

There's a ghost in the mortuary that they refer to as the white lady, She has been seen
many times, there's also been many sightings of a white light, there's been many times
when the PA system was off, and you could still hear choir music clearly.

Kern county - Lone Pine - Recreation park off hwy 395 -

a little girl sliding down the slide wearing a pink jacket and a white shirt with pig tails
small maybe 3 or 4 years old scene at night 12/05/03

Kern County/ Bakersfield - Lerdo Highway -

A woman dressed in a flowing gown, somewhat like the ones from the thirties or forties,
can be seen floating about a foot off the road from East to West on Lerdo Highway
between Freeway 99 and State Route 43. She has been seen there for years and years.
Legend has it that she was on her way to herwedding and was killed in a caraccident.

Keyes - Single T Canal -

A mysterious lady with a bluish glow has been seen roaming the banks of this canal.
She has even been known to chase people until they get off the canal bank. Legend
has it that the woman died trying to save one of herchildren caught in one of the
irrigation pipes. She is known to locals as The Blue Lady.

Kingsburg - Bangor St. - The old church on the north side of Bangor St. has been the
place of many unnatural occurrences. Lights have been seen in the building even
though it has no power. Doors lock and unlock on their own. People have been seen in
the windows at night, but during the day the building was boarded up. An old man
could be seen on the porch standing against the wall. He would turn and walk through
the front doors of the church. Humanoid figures with wings and tails would stand on
top of the roof. Something would swing from a rope in the bell tower. You could hear

the bell in the bell tower, even though the bell was removed years ago. Windows that
were nailed shut would open and close on their own. Children have been seen playing
in front of the old building. Glowing orbs have been seen, and strange figures with no
faces and no legs below the knee have chased people off the property many time s. -

NOTE: the building was torn down about four years ago and a house built on the
property. The house took an extremely long time to build, much longerthan it should
have taken.

La Habra - Estelli/ the hills -

when going back sometimes you can hear voices yelling, some foot prints of animals
that have 7 claws, and loud whooshing noises when getting close to the hills, but goes
away when u get a little bit farther away, creatures that move incredibly fast and make
high pitched growls, with spikes on their backs and dark clouds gather above and
follow you back to estelli. you get feelings of fear and the feeling your not welcomed

La Habra - Friendly Hills Medical Group - building is now abandoned from bankruptcy.
Reports by security people of cold spats, toilets flushing by themselves. Voices in
hallways. Heart monitor heard in cardiac room. Some EVP phenomena recorded.

Feeling of not being welcomed. -

UPDATE: The building is now torn down.

La Habra - La Habra Depot Theater -

Loud footsteps in theater. - Amtrak train (used as a dressing room): Loud banging
noises, vision of young girl peeking around wall, vision of couple in Victorian couple
walking (seen in mirror).

La Habra - Serria Vista school -

people have seen ghostly things up around the class room areas and on the street right
next to the back of the school, people run away from the school and when they look
back there is something chasing them ( sounds like a lie but it has happened to many
people) when you are there by your self the swings starts to swing and there are
creaking sounds all around the school many sightings of a little girl in one of the girls
restrooms

La Habra Heights - Hacienda Golf Club -

This 80 year-old golf club has many elderly members and a lot of these members
passed away while at the club. Strange occurrences at the club include noises, lights
that come on by themselves, and especially, there are dark shadows that move in the
corridors and on the golf course.

La Jolla - Muirlands Middle School -

As you walk down the halls you can sometimes hear people talking behind you an
when you turn you find that there is no one. In the auditorium you can sometimes the
lights turn on and off by themselves.

La Mirada - Bristol Drive -

June 2008 update: there is no longer an abandoned house some one has moved in and
changed it up.

La Mirada - Creek Park -

Across the bridge to the right there is a stair case up a hill in between bushes, at the top
of the stairs there is whitish grey figure standing there, it looks like a statue or a person
with a hood on. Late at night when you are walking down the stairs by the horse trail or
on the horse trail, people have heard a little girl screaming for her mom. If you walk by
the opening in the trees closest to the stairs people claim to see the little girl looking at
them

La Mirada - Taco Bell/Pizza Hut - Roscrances Ave -

Some reports say in the bathroom you hear voices in your ear and lights flicker when
you are alone next to the window, Reports has seen a man next to you on the table in
the back

La Puente - Hurley Elementary School - Tetherball courts -

They said two kids were playing tetherball after school around 7p.m one of the kids hit
the ball and the chains wrapped around one of the kids throat. The other one didn't
know what to do while his/her friend was choking. So the kid ran home. They said the
kid choked on the chains. Late nights residents say you could here a chain hitting the
pole on the court and a sound of someone choking.

La Puente - Nogales burgers -

the father of the owner walks around at night there have been many accounts of this
happening, the owner has seen it many times, so have security guards, this man died
many years ago in a grease fire, where he burned to death, there's also a wall with
photo's that was once throws across the restaurant.

La Puente - Nogales High School -

Nogales is haunted by a spirit that wanders the quad late at night. It is said to be the
spirit of a young student who was killed on the near by train tracks.

La Puente - Puente Hills Mall AMC - workers claim to see little kids running around the
theater and then they suddenly vanish into thin air. - Update & a little background info:

The Puente Hills Mall AMC theater was attached to the mall until 1996 The Broadway

Department Store was known by employees to be very haunted. On the third floor,
stock workers were frightened by music coming from a locked and empty stockroom,
and the area of the freight elevator was quite simply a terrifying place for me to work in.
Workers had feelings of panic and chills. On the second floor, employees heard their
names called by someone unseen (this was a very common occurrence, experienced
even by non-believers), clothing would swing on racks as though someone were
walking between the racks, cool breezes and the sound of breathing were felt and
heard in the stockrooms of the Children 's Department, and several times before the
store opened employees heard the sounds of someone straightening the racks in the
Lingerie department, and see two legs wearing black pants standing behind a tall
fixture (on which were hung bathrobes, etc.), but the sounds and legs disappeared
when they went to see who was working. All of this occurred both before, during, and
after store hours. Also, in the second floorfreight area, they would see people passing
the doorofthe room in which they were working, but no one was presentwhen they
checked the hallway. This, too, was a common activity. The first floor had similar
activities, but employees working after hours in the freight dock would see what we
thought were customers passing the windows of the dock doors, but when
investigated, the store was empty. One dock guy quit after he experienced this a couple
of times. The store was closed and torn down in 1 996, and the theater was built.
Reportedly only one person ever died on the store property: a manager had a heart
attack while at work, and died while they were loading her into the ambulance. A child
was severely injured once while playing on the escalator from the second to the first
floor, and his blood stains had soaked into the tile at the foot of the escalator and
remained until the store was destroyed.

La Quinta - Wal-Mart -

Employees claim to hear a little girls laughter late at night when the stores closed and
they've also heard toys falling off the shelves.

La Selva Beach - Tyler House -

What is now a teenage recovery house is the site of the Leonard House were a family
lived during the gold rush in the mid 1800s, but moved to Aptos after a while. There was
also a Jesuit Mission in the area, both have since been torn down and the Tyler House
stands in it's place. The beach near by is also haunted by a boy who drowned there in
the 1960s. The Tyler House residents have experienced noises and objects moving as
well as reports of windows opening and closing on their own, a very haunted house.

La Verne - Damien High School -

Towards dusk a large, fast moving white mist-like cloud can be seen moving across
campus in the direction of the football field. It has also been observed moving across
the football field. The 400 building towards the south of the school nearby by the gym is
rumored to be haunted by an unknown spirit. Late at night, it's rumored you can see the
hallway lights turn on by themselves and then see a shadow walking the hallway, but
there's nobody there when one tries to look.

Lafayette - Lafayette Park Hotel -

Guests complain about a little girl calling for her mommy and jumps on the beds.
Apparitions, Pictures fall of the walls vending machines dispense soda on their own,
cold spots & doors slam.

Laguna Hills - Top of the World -

Story is that a little girl that ran away from home to her school because her parents
where fighting. She sat on the swing crying. The next morning the custodian found her,
evidently she had died of hypothermia. Reports of hearing and seeing a little girl in the
play ground at night.

Laguna Woods - formerly Laguna Hills - Leisure World - Theater -

Footsteps are heard in the booth by staff in the offices below, especially when there is
no one in the building. Technicians have reported someone looking overtheir
shoulders during shows. Opinion has it that this is 'Bud', a former printer who moved to
Leisure World in the mid 60's and worked in the theater as its first tech.

Lake Balboa - Birmingham High School -

Before a high school, Birmingham High School, named after General Birmingham, was
a World War II hospital for amputees and other injured soldiers. Many soldiers died
during their stay at the hospital. After WWII, the hospital was renovated into present day
Birmingham High School. At night you can hear rusty squeaking noises on while
standing on the quad. Strange feelings of another presence can also be felt along the
front steps of the Performing Arts Building and the in the front entrance area.

Lake Elsinore - The Abandoned Country Club - burned down - Reports of an eerie
feeling of not being welcome there. The place is in shambles on the inside and is
always unusually cold in the hallway to the right of the foyer. Strange things are said to
happen here frequently.

**Update - has recently burned down, very negative place it was when it was standing
and the land and ruins that are now left have not changed that cold place one bit... on
one interesting note... the country club burned down in a huge fire and didn't so much
as singe the properties surrounding it.

Lake Elsinore - Divider Field (reflections) -

Supposedly, 3 or 4 workers plowing out the area for construction, were accidentally
killed by some of the machinery. Strange hot and cold spots have been recorded.

Lake Elsinore - - Elsinore Middle School - March 2008 update/correction: Formerly
posted as Elsinore High School -

In the early 50's, a freshman hung herself in the back of the stage in the theater. She

had been hurt and embarrassed in a hazing by the Soccer team. On several occasions
people have claimed to hear a girl choking when there is no one in the theater.

Lake Elsinore - The Home Interiors Of Mrs. 144 - Formerly known as The Chimes -
People have said that they have felt cold spots where the china dolls are located. The
spirit of the person who drowned in the pool has been seen roaming around in the
basement area. -

December 2006. It's finished being restored. In certain areas it is cold and creepy. It's
been transformed into a gift shop/tea house/spa.

Lake Elsinore - Main Street abandoned Hotel -

On Saturday nights, It has been said by many and also the mechanics shop that they
often hear screaming inside the hotel. The whole place is boarded up. Also they see a
man in a janitors suit looking down off the roof at about 1 am in the morning.

Lake Forrest - Best Western Hotel -

Employees have felt uneasy around the bottom floor rooms. EVP has been recorded
and Photos have been taken in one of the rooms. Cold spots in the kitchen area of the
room.

Lake Hughes - Willowbrook Estates -

Owner of the estate hosts weddings, to include a nightly stay at an on-grounds
guesthouse. While staying at the guesthouse, doors opened and closed, lights went on
and off, and rustling noises went on throughout the night(1997).

Lake Tahoe -

Periodically there are reports that a young woman has been seen floating below the
surface of the lake. She is dressed in fine clothing from the late 1800s.

Lakewood - Lakewood High School -

It is known to be said that in the pool area the light will go on and off and there will be
invisible footsteps of water on the side. It is said too be haunted by a swim coach who
blew a blood vessel while screaming at his team.

Lakewood - Saint Joseph high school -

June 2008 Correction: Has been removed. Story was untrue

Lancaster- Antelope Valley Hospital -

Staff on 5th floor report hearing noises and seeing doors move, eerie feeling when on
4th and 5th floors.

Lancaster - Cemetery -

You can see a little girl dressed in old fashioned cloths looking at you if you walk
through the cemetery at night.

Lancaster - Demolished Insane Asylum - (I & 90th) -

Concrete slabs of cells still remain. Voices can be heard late at night, along with
screaming, and banging noises on metal. People have even complained of being
chased.

Lancaster - Lancaster High School -

In the theater the house light will randomly turn off or on well you can clearly see that
no one is by light box. There are also rumors that if you sit in the seats and you have
the lights off you will see a white figure walk across the stage and towards you.

Lancaster - The Lancaster Hotel -

Its the oldest building in the city, and is so haunted that employees are warned that if
they talk about the ghosts to anyone, they will be fired. At random times, you can hear
footsteps on the wooden floors on both levels, music from an old scratchy record and
you can smell vanilla and old flowers in certain areas. It's open to the public and is
across the street from the LPAC.

Lancaster - Lancaster Performing Arts Center (Lancaster Blvd) -

It is said that when the theater was first being built, an elderly woman was standing on
the stage during construction, and accidentally stepped back into the orchestra pit. She
landed on her head, breaking her neck, dying instantly. Actors who have performed at
the theater claim to have seen her ghost downstairs in the green room and stairwell.
Many see a black figure, other feel a strange sensation causing them to want to get out
of there immediately. No one has ever seen her upstairs, they believe it's because
there's nowhere to fall downstairs and she feels safer there.

Lancaster - Shamrock Carpet Cleaners -

Footsteps have been heard in the back of the building and a telephone and carpet rolls
have moved them selves a ghost of a man has also been seen he is reportedly named
George

Lathrop - Mossdale Bridge -

A young man is said to have committed suicide by jumping off the Mossdale bridge into
the San Joaquin river below in the 1970's. His ghost has been seen on the bridge at
dusk wearing blue jeans and a red checkered Flannel.

Lemongrove - Kentucky Fried Chicken

After an employee named Rudy died during his shift, strange things started happening
are security backdoor would open by itself after closing. Feeling of not being alone.
Dishes being cleaned when no one was around. Other reports such as flickering lights,
cold spots, and items disappearing then reappearing somewhere else.

Lemoore - Kings River on Elgin -

It is said that a woman had two of her kids drown in the river there. She attempted to try
and save them but in turn lost her own life. Since then it is said that she can be seen
walking in the bushes with a lantern calling for her kids and asking for someone to save
her kids, and if anyone enters the water in an attempt to save them she then takes them
under in return.

Lemoore - Lemoore High School -

Auditorium/English Building - Reports by many students include shadows that move
by themselves, two girls laughing in the fifth row sixth and seventh seat, and the
presence of a man on the balcony wearing a bolo hat.

Lemoore - Lemoore High Theater -

The theater is haunted by two ghosts. One is an old man who died from a heart attack,
he is said to be sifting in the last row, his seat always stays cold. The other is a boy
about 16 or 17 who fell from the balcony when working spotlights fora play. People
have said that they can hear his screams....

Lemoore - Oddfellows Lodge -

Each yearon Halloween the local Drama Club puts up a haunted house, The Spirits of
the family that used to live there seem not to like this. Since during the haunts People
working there report Sighting Shadow's of people wearing Victorian era Clothes, Cold
Spots, Spots of Extreme Heat, a Hallway that seems to be Unnaturally Dark, and when
in there for long amounts of time you hear voices call out your names and hands push
you. A deep male voice Telling us to LEAVE US TO REST, and sightings of Strange
green, and Red Lights on the roof. The Spirits are generally Menacing and People
would find themselves with a feeling of deep dread after spending long times in the
building

Lennox - Buford Elementary school -

right when you go inside the school there's a tombstone of a teacherthat died. They
say that they seen herwalking around the school into he night. They also say that
people hear voices by the bathrooms. K just happens in the night.

Lennox - Hawthorne High School - Nyman Hall -

reports of a former drama teacher seen looking for his students. & there is a lady that
only comes out when you go up to the stage. You can see here up where the lights are.

Lincoln - Teal Hallow -

Very few people have seen the ghost of a 4 year old boy on a big wheel.

Livermore - Paterson's Pass -

Supposedly, a class of children were taking a field trip. On the way, the bus broke
down. Everyone got out of the bus and tried pushing it. The bus then rolled backwards
and crushed all the students. Now, if you go to the marker(1 57) put your car in neutral
the students try to push you. While they push you their finger prints appear on your car
and you hear footsteps on the gravel beneath.

Livermore - The Sanitarium -

One night in 1789 a groundskeeperforthe tuberculosis hospital went crazy and shot all
the children. They are screams can be heard constantly.

Loma Linda - Monticito grave yard -

Witnesses report a ghost dressed in white at 2:00 am and don't look at the gate but you
will hear something behind you like a voice. But if you turn back at the gate it
disappears and at Halloween you see a fog at night.

Lomita - Fleming Middle School - The students share a legend of a haunting by saying
that one of the bathrooms is haunted. Someone supposedly died there and now you
can see her face in the mirror. -

March 2007 update/correction. The school was built in the 1920's and it was a six-year
school when the new high school was built it took the name Narbone so the old school
had to come up with a new name. This is probably all urban myth. There are other
stories one is about a elevator that went up to the third floor, but there is no elevator.
One thing is that the school was built in the 1920's and that the school's name was
changed to honor Alexander Fleming. The submitter does not rememberthe school's
original name but the name change occurred in the 1940's. The third floor can only be
reached by a rather steep set of stairs. The third floor was seldom used because of this
fact. There is one hallway up there with about 20 rooms in total, 10 on each side of the
hall. Some classes where held on the third floor but it was mostly unused.

Lompoc - Burger King -

long ago an boy went and hung himself in the ladies restroom. When the store is about
to close, a seat ends up in the bathroom the very spot where he hung himself, but
tipped over as if he kicked it so he could be hanged. A worker saw a white ghostly
figure standing in and staring at the other workers who were closing up. When the last
person leaves you can hear a loud banging on the bathroom door, then when check it
no one is there. There is said to be cold spot when you sit at the table behind the straw
despiser.

Lompoc - Mission La Purisma -

The large chapel definitely has two separate presences. One is of a priest. The other
chapel presence is a young girl. She was more than likely baptized at and lived at the
mission. Her presence is strongest in the back by the baptismal font. It is one of
happiness and a youthful playfulness, she was possibly a pre-teen.

Lompoc - Tahitian Village -

Supposedly built on an Indian burial site (Chumash) there have been voices and
strange occurrences. Including hearing a faint voice in one of the apartment closets of
a man playing guitar, two men 'stealing' goods from the pantry, and scratches on
resident's faces in the middle of the night.

Lone Pine - T rain Depot off 395 -

Eerie darkness in the baggage compartment. And reports of a little girl behind the ticket
counter with a doll in her arms.

Long Beach - Brooks College -

The college was built on the site of an old Navy hospital that existed during WWII. The
hospital took in all the soldiers that were wounded in the Pacific. The hospital was torn
down and the dorms for Cal State Long Beach were built. Many students report seeing
men in Navy garb. A man in a Doctor's coat is also reported.

Long Beach - Casa Bonita - Downtown on 6th St. -

Casa Bonita is an extremely old building that's recently been refurbished and restored
in Downtown Long Beach. K used to be a hotel a long time ago. Residents and visitors
share stories of strange noises being heard in the basement where the laundry room is
located. A woman screaming in the hallway where there was no one there for the
screams to have come from, cold spots in apartments and hallways. Hanging lamps
swinging when there is no breeze.

Long Beach - DeForest Nature T rail -

Black Figures seen floating around. ..moaning heard and children laughing. ..cold spots
and screaming heard. Especially by the end towards the riverbed trail.

Long Beach - Deforest park -

There's cold spots. Voices saying help me and saying peoples names. Rapid footsteps.
Spots where there are no sounds and then all of a sudden a whoosh of extremely cold
air. Whispering of more than one voice at late night there is thick fog with in the forest
and a beam of light within the fog...

Long Beach - Long Beach Job Corps

Many people who live on campus have seen an older woman wearing a white wedding
dress walking the halls of there dorm rooms late at night.

Long Beach - Los Ceritos Ranchos -

Close to 300 people died there of a plague, and it is haunted by the founder and builder
Don Juan Temple, the bathroom is a hot spot of activity with many cold spats around it,
and a lady in white has been seen in the Men's bathroom.

Long Beach - Marriott Hotel - Room 217 -

Several tries more than necessary to turn the television off; on several occasions while
sitting on the bed you can feel something or someone tugging at the bedspread; the
feeling of being touched by someone's hand at the top of your back as well as the
sense of a presence in the room. Very eerie and experienced by several people on
different occasions.

Long Beach - The Queen Mary -

It is said that a male ghost has been seen in the engine room where he was killed while
the ship was still in service, there have also been reports of the sound of children
playing in the pool; sounds of splashing water in the empty pool area, accompanied by
wet feet prints & apparitions around the surrounding pool area. The most accessible
haunted area is near door 13 in the engine room, where a young man was crushed
trying to escape a fire. Another haunting area is the front desk of what is now the hotel
portion of the ship. Sightings include a mysterious woman in white & and a couple
walking though the hallway.

Long Beach - The Queen Mary- Room B340 -

This is the room now closed by management due to unexplained events which
occurred to guests. B340 is located in an abandoned area of the ship's long hallway
corridor. Lights mysteriously flicker and a very cold feeling surrounds the area. It is also
said the door knocks on occasion to those who knock.

Los Angeles - Ambassador Hotel -

Last year, during the filming of VH-1's "Random Play" several crewmembers reported
seeing a ghostly figure appear in a fourth story window, lean and out and then
disappear. Also, lights would inexplicably turn on and off. Strange cold spots were felt
and "shooting lights" were seen in hallways.

Los Angeles - Angel City Brewery -

Formerly Pabst Blue Ribbon, this complex houses one of largest artist colony in the
world. Upon ascending the stairs in the main building leading up to the rooftop, many
voices could be heard. It sounds like a hundred muted conversations going on at the
same time. The sound of trains and freeway traffic are audible until reaching the

rooftop. Once on the roof, even the visible freeway traffic and rail yard is dead silent.

Los Angeles - Bancroft Middle school -

Late at night or in the morning, teachers and even some students claim that in the main
building on the third floor they hear whispers and footsteps behind them and when
they look back there is no one there. Also, in the gym during physical education the
lights suddenly go on and off. Besides that, the janitor claims that all of a sudden the
ropes to climb will move by itself and the volleyball nets outside shake very hard.

Los Angeles - Bell Gardens - Suva Intermediate School -

A Janitor who committed suicide is said to haunt the 2 story building also one the art
class there are many cold spots and out of the corner of your eye you can see
someone standing

Los Angeles - Belmont High School -

The spirit of a young girl by the name of "Arabella" haunts the Belmont auditorium. She
has reported to follow actors and crew around the stage during rehearsals, flickering
lights, moving curtains, turning on and off the faucets in the dressing rooms, and
occasionally is heard opening and shutting doors. Legend has it, she is the spirit of a
young girl who attended the once "Private Belmont School for Girls" during the 1900s
and died there shortly after a fire destroyed the school.

Los Angeles - Birmingham High School -

It was a hospital in WWII. Reports include voices at night and cold spots.

Los Angeles - Boyle Heights - Roosevelt High School - R Building -

biggest from all the rest and the building is 3 stories high and it long, a couple decades
ago the building wasn't 3 stories high it was four and it was to believe that there was a
fire and some student died. ..here's the story, three students were in a class room and it
was a dance night in Roosevelt and one of the students was spying on his girlfriend
because he believed that she was cheating on him, so he was just looking out the
window down into the other students, and his other friends the one's inside the
classroom with him left and one of them was smoking a cigarette and when he was
going out the door he threw the cigarette in the trash and the whole floor burned and
one student died the one that was looking out the window and that's what people
believe that cause the fire. ..now to this day teachers claim that when they stay late at
night in the 3rd floor of the "R" building they will hear footsteps, doors opening and
closing and TV's turning on and off by themselves and the same with the auditorium it's
apart of the "R" building as well. ..some students will say that they'll hear claps and
whispers when trying to skip classes eventually run out of there.

Los Angeles - Boyle Heights - Our Lady of Talpa Catholic School -

In the school's auditorium you can hear footsteps and movement from behind the stage
curtains. In the hallways and bathrooms you can also hear footsteps like someone is
running only to look and no one is there. It is said that a Nun who was a teacherthere
died during one of her classes of heart attack or old age. She played the piano and
sometimes the piano in the auditorium will play on its own.

Los Angeles - Cal State L.A. Phase II -

In the phase two section of the dorms at CSULA, there is a storage room that is
haunted. Once a room till the year 1999 it is has been known to emanate loud moans
and screams, as well as residents in that dorm and the dorm next door, being disturbed
at all hours of the day and night by persistent knocking and voices. The ghost of a
blonde lady has been seen in the area and has been known to ask residents of "her"
dorm "Do you think I would not know." The story goes that she came in to find her
roommate sleeping with her boyfriend, distraught and emotionally exhausted from
midterms she hanged herself in the hallway directly outside her roommates room for an
eerie surprise.

Los Angeles - Carson - ARCO Refinery -

Dark figures walking around, valves turning by themselves. In the early years of the
refinery, when safety was not emphasized and the refinery was a much more
dangerous place to work, many have perished and died.

Los Angeles - Cathedral High School -

The Cold spots near the senior patio. In the Yearbook/Newspaper room, the staff has
heard noises on floor above them, even though they were the only ones on campus.
The yearbook newspaper room used to be a chapel (still has the stained glass
windows), said to have a negative energy in the room. School was built over a
graveyard. Coffin nails are still being found in the football field. When it rains, there is a
spot on the field that never gets wet. Strange occurrences during theatre productions
held in the gym have also been reported, including a chair flying across the floor.

Los Angeles - Chinatown - Apartment on Centennial St -

Footsteps in the living room -doors opening with out the wind blowing and noises by
the baby's crib and it feels like someone is standing right next to you when your
sleeping in the living room by yourself.

Los Angeles - City Industry - Puente Hills Mall -

Reports of phenomenon happen inside the corridors. Voices being heard during the
graveyard shifts. Lights flickering on and off during the night hours. Noises coming
from the ceiling like someone was climbing threw the air shafts. Cold spots inside some
of the corridors. A suicide happen in 2004 in the lower level women's restroom by
Sears. She shot herself in the head. Sightings of a dark image inside the corridors and

restroom's mirror where the suicide took place. AMC theaters sightings of children
seen running thru the walls. Robinsons May motion censers security alarm goes off for
no apparent reasons. We thought it was mice or rats running around. Exterminator was
hired. He said there were no signs of rats or mice inside.

Los Angeles - The Coliseum -

In the 1960s a man fell off the top floor of the sports complex to his death. Many people
thought that he had been pushed, but the court ruled it an accidental death. On night
games towards the end ofthe game an apparition of a man is seen on the topfloorof
the complex as well as the sounds of screaming and a loud CRUNCH.

Los Angeles - Cypress Park Branch Library -

This library opened in 1924,Overthe years several ghost sightings have been
witnessed by numerous people. A ex worker there once spotted a translucent male
floating near the old fireplace. Ghostly whispers can sometimes be heard in the men's
room. Cold spots can be felt near the occult section and fireplace.

Los Angeles - Downtown - Cabin The First Interstate Bldg, (now called the AON
building) -

The building on Wilshire burned down on may 4, 1988. An engineer was riding the
elevator when the doors opened on the 1 2th floor, the place where the fire was taking
place. When they found his body it was shriveled and burnt. Janitors have reported
hearing noises and lights switching on and off on the eleventh floor as well as the 32nd
floor. Also, a couple of people committed suicide by jumping off the top. One man
jumped 'cause his wife left him. Another lady a couple of years back, in the 90's. Her
intestines were hanging off the trees. But many claim the entire building is damned.

Los Angeles - Elysian Park -

Throughout the park there have been sightings dating back to before Dodger Stadium
and even before the 110 Fwy went through there. Many families lived and died in the
hills and valleys in this green area just north of downtown L.A. The story ofthe White
Lady is about a woman who drowned her children in the river and wanders the park
crying for them. Other versions ofthe White Lady story include visions of headless
dogs near the sighting ofthe White Lady. Human figures have seen entering the tunnel
under the 110 fwy at Solano Ave., but not emerging on the other side. In the Lodge area
light flicker along the hillsides. Street lights often go on and off when couples park
under them at night and talk about the spirits in the park. Elysian Park hosts Dodger
Stadium which removed many long time residents whose families dated back to
colonial times. The anger of these forcefully r emoved families or the return of spirits to
the beauty ofthe area are the fuel for the legends. On the eastside ofthe park there was
a cemetery that was dug up for the construction ofthe 110 and Cathedral High School
which has its own stories of unexplained events.

Los Angeles - Fairfax high School

in the rotunda shadows have been seen and cold spots have been felt. A number of
students felt the urge to jump off the 3rd floor balcony "when I walked past the entrance
to the 3rd floor balcony, I felt the sudden urge to brake through the gate and jump off',
two people killed by hanging themselves and jumping off. Cold spots have also been
felt and light flicker in the auditorium. One person died falling off fixing lights.

Los Angeles - Figueroa hotel -

Sometimes the elevator will stop on certain floors for no reason. When the doors open
no one is there. Strange sounds throughout the hallways and in the rooms. Televisions
turn on in the middle of the night by them selves and will not shut off.

Los Angeles - Franklin High School -

This school is haunted by a former student who died when she fell off a balcony on the
fourth floor overlooking the quad. Some students claim that if you go to the balcony
today and look down on the quad, you will feel the presence of someone standing next
to you. If you look over quickly, you will catch a glimpse of the dead girl staring down-
before she disappears.

Los Angeles - Fremont High School - The stage in the auditorium. -
Strange shadows and feelings.

Los Angeles - Griffith park -

this old park known to a lot of people is known for its tragedy history. History has it that
previous owners of the park were dying mysteriously. Today the parks camp road has
been closed because of strange happenings. Some people report to see sacrifices and
other witch like ceremonies been held there, but when they go the next day they would
find no sign of such happenings.

Los Angeles - Highland Park - Franklin High School -

The ghost of a deceased student haunts the auditorium and the surrounding
classrooms. The student had died in the 50's and continues to be heard and seen by
faculty and students alike, loud unexplained noises are heard.

Los Angeles - Houdini's Mansion -

It is a abandoned Mansion of the magician Houdini. Many people say it is haunted and
have heard footsteps on the large stairs of Houdini's Mansion. Many apparitions of a
man walking also is seen through pictures.

Los Angeles - 1. Magnun/Bullocks building

On Wilshire Boulevard near Vermont. Now part of the Southwest Law School, the old
department store built in 1929 was converted into a law library. A security guard
working there during its renovation could hear a little girl's voice crying from the
elevator shaft. It was rumored that a man had pushed the girl into the elevator shaft,
killing her back in the 1930's. Other strange happenings observed were lights coming
on and off, windows and shades being open and closed with no one in the building,
and footsteps being heard on the stairway. Some construction workers reported
finding secret passageways that lead from Mr. Bullock's penthouse in the building.
Several construction workers had quit during remodeling due to unexplained
phenomena taking place in the building's clock tower.

Los Angeles - J.F.K. Library Third - Floor South -

The story is that some people who had been getting stoned in the third floor bathroom,
experimented with some laced substances. Resulting in a loss of their sanity and the
bludgeoning of one of them and at least one other. On the evenings near closing time,
after hours, and in the early morning the faucets turn themselves on and off, as well as
locked doors being forced open. There have also been reports of cold spots in the
restroom and in the area surrounding the bathroom. There is an eerie feeling in that
area and sometimes you can hear stoned laughter.

Los Angeles - John Marshall High School - Students believe the fourth floor is haunted
because of it being restricted, any info please email Haunted Places-

April 2005 Correction - The rumor is that a boy was murdered up there in the 4th floor.
On the 3rd floor witnesses would hear noises down the hallway, as if someone was
touching the lockers. Like someone was trying to open the locker type noise. When the
submitter of this update would go to the 3rd floor they always wondered why the stairs
that lead to the 4th floor would be caged shut. While they attended that school, not
once had they ever seen the stairs that lead to the 4th floor ever cleaned. The 3 yrs they
attended the same filth would be there. The school was built sometime in 1936.

Los Angeles - Knott's Berry Farm -

Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant a ghost in one of the empty, windowless back
dining rooms, looked like an old woman and the busboy claimed it was simply a fog.

Los Angeles - LA County - Walnut - City Of Indusry - St. Mary's Catholic School -

Since the school doubled as an orphanage, the kids also lived there. When the school
was running, kids played in the small field behind the school. One night, a couple of
kids (unknown how many) snuck out of their beds and went outside to play. Then the
next day the nuns found the kids dead outside. No one knows how they died (or some
make up stories) But if you go there at night you can hear running inside the building
and the sounds of swings and other children's toys moving. The are also devil
worshipers who write anti-christ slurs on the walls in blood which can be found
through out the school. There is also a story that someone was killed in the bathroom

facilities behind the school either by gang members or devil worshipers. You can see
the handprints in blood and other stains in side the backrooms.

Los Angeles - LA County Museum of Arts (LACMA) -

According to security guards, a woman was shot by her husband because she was
sleeping with other men. She is now a very active spirit supposedly begging men who
visit the building that see herto (to put it nicely) have sex with her as well as playing
with the electrical system. Contractors doing work at the site have left in fear and never
come back.

Los Angeles - Le Lycee Francias (up hill campus) -

in the uphill campus forthe boys locker room is haunted. The lights go on and of then
turn of. The door goes slam and is look but from the inside. Some times the locker open
and close by themselves. Last seen in yr 2001-2002.

Los Angeles - Lincoln Heights - Lincoln High School -

Underneath the school there are tunnels where they used in case of bombs in the early
1900's. In the 1960's a mother of one of the black panthers hid her black panther son
there for 3 years. In those tunnels there is an abandoned shooting range and you hear
those guns going off during school hours. And early in the morning around 6:30 when
the hall lights are off you see student apparitions in the distance of the oldest building
there.

Los Angeles - Los Angeles Airport Marriott -

Many strange occurrences have been reported over the years. Apparitions of different
beings show up in the lounge on the 18th floor & in the parking garage accompanied
by feelings of terror, strange smells & sounds. Rumor is that the front office is curse - 6
suicides of people who worked in the front office since the hotel opened in 1972.

Los Angeles - Los Angeles City Hall -

Security Officers report of Haunting on the 2,3,4,27 and 28th floors. The 2nd floor is the
scariest; the whole floor is in marble. There are noises coming from many directions
and there always feels like someone is watching you. Security Officers have reported
seeing apparitions in this area. The 3rd and 4th floor always seem as though someone
is with you as you walk. The 27th floor "Tom Bradley Room" has paintings of all the
Former Mayors of Los Angeles. There is one painting located in the back Hallway that is
really eerie. The painting was done in the late 1800 to early 1900. This painting looks like
a regular photograph and the man in side the painting seems to watch you with his
eyes. This painting is extremely life like. On the 28th floor, there seems to be lot of
energy. CCTV cameras have picked up human figure images. It has been believed the
at one tim e or anotherthat City Hall housed a morgue. All occurrences have happened
between the hours of 0130-0500 am, but be advised the building is closed to the public

at these hours.

Los Angeles - Los Angeles Pet Cemetery -

The Little Rascal's dog Petey, Hop along Cassidy's Horse and Mary Pickford's dog are
all interred here. However, the dead animal that does the most haunting here is Kabar, a
Great Dane that belonged to Rudolf Valentino. The dog died in 1929 but it's playful
phantom is still reported panting or licking people that wander near it's grave.

Los Angeles - Los Angeles Senior High School -

There is a man who sings to Frank Sinatra songs wandering the theatre, sometimes he
opens and closes the elevator door or sits in the audience section clapping
unexpectedly. Usually he is around, students and teachers have said to feel his
presence moving around.

Los Angeles - Loyola High School -

Reported noises and movement at night in the field house. A classroom, which used to
be a dormitory for students in the 60's, is haunted by a student who killed himself in a
trap door located on the ceiling of the room. Students and even the teacher who uses
the room report an eerie presence there. The living quarters for the Jesuits is reportedly
visited by an apparition of a nun. The school itself is over 150 years old.

Los Angeles - Loyola Marymount University - The Strub Theatre -

Said to be haunted by an old lady who sits in the back of the house watching the stage.
Several actors have seen her in the audience while performing on stage and stage
managers, while locking up the theatre after rehearsals or productions, have reported
seeing her staring intently at the stage.

Los Angeles - Loyola Marymount University - Rains Hall

students have reported seeing strange apparitions as well as the ghost of a girl who
died therefrom heart complications in 1998.

Los Angeles - Manual Arts High School -

The school's print shop believed to be haunted by the ghost of its first print shop
teacher who worked there for over 40 years. Students have felt someone looking over
their shoulder as they worked developing film in the darkroom. Witnesses have seen a
man out of the corner of their eye, standing outside the darkroom near the film drying
area.

Los Angeles - Norwalk - AMC theater 20 -
Little children and screams have been reported.

Los Angeles - Neutrogena, Johnson & Johnson Corporation -

There is a total of three ghosts here at Neutrogena. The original founders wife was shot
execution style here and so was his son. Workers and security officers working late
nights will see a woman in a white dress walking around, a child playing in the factory
and running (there are no children allowed in the buildings due to the hazards), and a
strange growl.

Los Angeles - Occidental College - Erdman Hall -

A room in the center, front side of the of the 2nd floor of the Erdman Residence Hall at
Occidental College is haunted by two spirits. One of a young person, who plays friendly
tricks on the living in order to solicit their attention and friendship. The playful spirit has
been known to turn the water faucets on and off (not a plumbing problem - the knobs
have been seen turning on their own), the lights are tuned on and off, the chain on the
door is taken on and off, and written messages are found on the walls. The other spirit
is a dark and heavy presence that resides in one of the room's two closets. This dark
being can be felt late at night typically when a person is trying to sleep - it has been
described as a large dark man who stands by the door and watches as you sleep. It is
clearly not friendly, but it does no more than make its presence felt. No explanation has
been offered as to the source of these spirits, but they are accompanied by a few other
manifestations in other parts of the building (but are concentrated in this particular
room).

Los Angeles - Occidental College - Newcomb Hall -

Years ago, a student who had been having problems being away from home sank into a
deep depression. She hung herself inside the dorm on the second floor. Strange things
setting of alarms and presence felt.

Los Angeles - Our Lady of Loretto Elementary -

There have been reports of a woman with red heels walking down an empty hall on the
2nd floor. Students get the urge to climb the roof stairs and jump off the roof; a 5th
grader did this in the 70s. Lights turn on and off inexplicably, and laughter is heard in
the auditorium girls' bathroom.

Los Angeles - Qantas Freight Warehouse -

A warehouse worker that died while working in the bypass section in the warehouse
haunts Qantas Freight. There have been numerous witnesses that claim to have seen
his ghost working normally and when approached he turns around and his face and
hands are bloody and mangled. The workers report the stranger to the managers and
when they look for him he disappears. Many graveyard shift workers claim that he
appears mostly in the cooler room checking the human remains section.

Los Angeles - Renaissance Los Angeles Airport -

Mostly strange sounds in the rooms and the feeling of being followed and watched.

Los Angeles - Roosevelt High School - ”R" Building -

Most of the staff members and student have reported that strange noises can be heard
in the a auditorium and lights go off and on when no one is there!

Los Angeles - The Dodger Stadium -

Ghost seen sitting in the seats.

Los Angeles - The over pass over Pasadena Free way -

Reports of a residual scene of a murder happening - A woman running, a man running
after her, when they reach the edge of the over pass he grabs herto strangle her and
throws her over.

Los Angeles - University of Judaism -

When the school was first being built, and there, kids and students use to come and
hang out at night on the soccer field that was there. A girl was raped, hertongue cut out
and murdered. It is said on nights in September and October, she has been seen her
wandering the soccer field, trying to scream and call gut the names of her attackers,
and that if any males wander down to the filed on nights she is out, they will go mute
while on the field.

Los Angeles - Virgil Jr. High Auditorium -

Reports of doors opening and closing on their own, low moaning sounds emitted from
empty rooms, and ropes hanging from a pipe in a bathroom stall (where a student
allegedly hung himself). There has also been sightings of a glowing clown like
apparition.

Los Angeles - Walnut - Lemon Ave -

The Lady was killed by car accident you can see her crossing the street by 9:00PM
through 3:00 AM.

Los Angeles - Westchester High School -

It is said that 3 ghost haunt the school. There is a young man believed to be 1 6-1 8
haunting the school. Back in the 70's the boy was playing basketball for his PE class,
as he went up for a shot someone took his legs out from under him and he crushed his
skull and broke his neck. Late at night after hours you can hear the young man playing
and you can encounter a ghostly figure walk up to you and ask " Do u got game "?
then laugh and disappear. The othertwo ghosts seem to be a couple. They are seen all
overthe school every now and then. They will disappear when see by other people.

The couple will follow and mess with you until you leave.

Los Angeles - Westwood - Dvkstra Hall -

Supposedly there is a lively spirit still hovering over the third floor of the dormitory,
where a couple of years ago a young student (overwhelmed by life) committed suicide
by hanging himself in the dormitory closet. K is said that the kid killed himself across
from one of the restrooms, where creepy noises can be heard during the night.

Los Angeles - Wilson High School -

A running figure can be seen along the track of the high school. This person was said
to be running at a time late at night when some gang members saw him, and chased
him with their car, killing him. Now this runner haunts the track. Another haunting at
Wilson is in one of the dark rooms in the photography class, reports of being pushed
around and even locked in the room. Also, a figure of a football player sitting on the bar
nearthe docks can be seen, it has been said that after a game, he was sitting there, and
fell back about 8 feet, hitting his head and killing him. Reports of the apparition of a boy
seen sitting from a window he was pushed from.

Los Angeles - Palace Theatre -

The vaudeville-era Palace at 6th and Broadway is said to be extensively haunted by
spectral stage workers and theatre guests. One of the seats near the front of the house
supposedly is haunted by a man who was shat there when discovered out on a date
with the wrong woman. Two old stage hands bicker in the wings. When a show stinks,
the spirits make their opinion known by lobbing invisible rotten eggs at the stage.

Ghost hunters have identified nearly two dozen individual hauntings in the building.
There is some mischievous activity, but nothing particularly scary.

Los Angeles - University of California - Dvkstra Hall -

Dykstra 10th floor showers turn on by themselves. Not a drip, but a full force shower,
when no one's in the shower area. Residents will turn them off, and they'll turn back on.
RAs have been sent to investigate and the problems were reported to Facilities who
didn't find anything wrong with the showers.

Los Angeles - Venice - Venice high school -

it has been said that auditorium lights and sound turn on by themselves sometimes
while events are taking place also screams being heard in the control room also the
place gets very cold sometimes the auditorium and the school itself has a long past
history of many events and the decor itself of the auditorium is very eerie old style just a
weird feeling when you walk in there when empty it has been said that in fact there is an
entity haunting the place.

Los Angeles - Venice Beach - Westminster Ave. Apartment Bldg. -

Charlie Chaplin used to own several of the large buildings that sit near or along the
famous Venice Beach Boardwalk in Los Angeles. In the day, these buildings were

commonly used as bath houses or lodging for wealthy vacationers. Today, these
buildings have been converted to apartment buildings forthe local artists, musicians,
and other creative types that now inhabit Venice Beach. Incidentally these buildings
cradle around the famous Building Number 26 on Westminster Ave. It has been
documented in print as well as Chaplin's films that during the early 1900's he did much
of his filming in and around these properties on Westminster Avenue. In 1915, during
the filming of "By the Sea" Chaplin's stunt double mysteriously disappeared from the
film set. Production was put on hold for three days and a full on man-hunt was instated.
After tur ning up empty-handed, it was assumed that the long time friend of Chaplin's
must have quit and left on his on recognizance. The studios that were financially
backing the film, were losing money. Under haste, Chaplin was forced to replace his
stunt double and continue production of the film. On the seventh day afterthe
disappearance, Chaplin returned to his dressing room after a day of shooting. His
dressing room was located in the basement of the now famous Building number 26 on
Westminster. It is documented that Chaplin, while accompanied by an entourage,
entered the room to discover his stunt double and long time friend lying dead on the
floor, wet and covered in seaweed. The man appeared to have been deceased for
several days. How he had ended up on the floor of Chaplin's dressing room after
missing for almost an entire week, is still to this day a complete mystery. The "now"
inhabitants of the famous building claim to still hearstrange noises emanating from th e
walls of somebody walking through shallow water. Other noises include moaning, and
sounds of someone distantly crying for help. In addition to the assortment of disturbing
sounds, there have been several sightings of what appears to be an apparition of a man
bound by the hands and feet standing in luminous corners of the large building. Quite
possibly the most blood curdling detail of all these sightings is what the man is seen
wearing. He's dressed the same way he was the day he disappeared. A Chaplin-esque
tuxedo coat with tails and the proverbial black derby hat.

Los Angeles - Vista Linda hospital -

the elevators, operate by themselves... there are terrible odors in the third floor, the
smell of sick people, cold spots, and sudden chills. In the crematory there's lack of air,
its very dry and eerie when you walk in.

Los Gatos - Beaux Cheveaux Hair Salon between North Santa Cruz Ave and Village
Lane -

Reports of mirrors falling from walls.

Los Gatos - Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad & Bill Mason Carousel -

Noises have often been heard from inside the carousel building especially after hours.
Employees have reported sounds of doors being shut, gates opening and closing, and
lights being turned on and off. When employees have investigated such noises, no one
was around. Most activity here is pretty docile and friendly however.

Los Gatos - Green Valley Disposal Company

The ghost that inhabits this old house where there is now an office is named Julius. He
has played with the electric calculator on one of the desks even while someone is
sitting there. At night you can hear a chair rolling across a wooden floor upstairs and
the upstairs is carpeted. There is also a cold spot in a room where things were stored
and also the office downstairs was so cold you had to wear a coat and there was
nothing wrong with the heating or cooling system. Also, upstairs, in the cold storage
room the filing cabinets would open and shut very rapidly and then stop. At one time a
new phone system was installed, and within a week it completely shut down, the
engineers could not even explain it and while calls were being put on hold he would
disconnect every call on hold!

Los Gatos - Hicks Road -

A biker died on the road about 10 years ago and now he haunts the road. The ghost
wears a trench coat and rolls around at night on a bike. The bike has no wheels and
you cant see his face. You can only see him in your mirrors.

Los Gatos - Opera House -

A ghost is known to haunt the Opera House in downtown Los Gatos. The ghost has
been caught on camera and is known to pull instruments from musicians playing at
weddings in the banquet hall.

Los Gatos - The summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains -

On Old Santa Cruz highway, going toward Los Gatos, a young woman of about 17 or 1 8
roams around. She can be seen sitting on the side of the road, or walking at twilight.

Lynwood - Lyngwood Park - In the year of 2003, a young man of the age 20 was brutally
killed while he was riding his bicycle, in the daylight time. During the day and night
people have reported seeing a man riding his bicycle and disappearing in a distance of
about 15 feet away from them, also in the same place he was found death people have
seen a young men laying down asking for help suddenly he disappears.

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1/10/2015

ShukerNature: A JUMBO-SIZED REVELATION FROM CHINA - STRAIGHT -TUSKED ELEPHANTS IN HISTORIC TIMES?

Dr KARL SHUKER blogspot.co.uk

A JUMBO-SIZED REVELATION FROM CHINA - STRAIGHT-TUSKED ELEPHANTS IN
HISTORIC TIMES?

It had long been assumed that these were
Asian elephants Elephas maximus, because
this familiar modern-day species still exists
today in southern China. However, researches conducted by a team of scientists from
Shaanxi Normal University and Northwest University in Xi'an and from the Institute of
Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research in Beijing, and published on 19
December 2012 in a Quaternary International paper, sensationally divulged that the northern
China elephants seemingly belonged to an entirely separate, ostensibly long-extinct genus,
Palaeoloxodon - housing the straight-tusked elephants.

Models of straight-tusked elephants
Palaeoloxodon {© Apotea/Wikipedia)

As recently as 3000 years ago, elephants
were still living wild in northern China, which
may come as something of a surprise to
many people. But something far more
surprising concerning them has lately been
proposed.

Might Palaeoloxodon warrant an entry in my book In Search
of Prehistoric Survivors ?

Until now, China's Palaeoloxodon species (as yet unnamed) was
thought to have died out at the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary,
approximately 10,000 years ago. However, the Chinese team's
findings indicate that it was still alive at least 7000 years longer,
into historic times - a veritable prehistoric survivor, in fact.

The team's revelations were based upon their re-examination of
3000-year-old fossil teeth hitherto believed to have been from
Elephas but now recognised to belong to Palaeoloxodon-, and
their reinterpretation of 33 northern Chinese elephant-shaped bronze wares from the Xia,
Shang, and Zhou dynasties (c. 4100-2300 years ago) whose trunks all had two grasping
finger-like digits, whereas the trunk of E. maximus only ever has one, thus suggesting that
these bronzes may depict Palaeoloxodon, not Elephas.

Possible Palaeoloxodon depicted by ancient Chinese ware, with two-fingered trunk-

IN SEARCH OF

PREHISTORIC

SURVIVORS

KARL P. N SHUKER

http://kar I s huker .bl ogspot.co.uk/2Q1 5/01 /a-j urn bo-s ized-re vel ati on-fr om -chi na.htm I

1/2

1/10/2015

ShukerNature: A JUMBO-SIZED REVELATION FROM CHINA - STRAIGHT -TUSKED ELEPHANTS IN HISTORIC TIMES?

ending ringed in red (© Quaternary International)

Not everyone agrees that this partial resurrection of
Palaeoloxodon in China is valid, however, with fossil
elephant experts Drs Adrian Lister and Victoria Herridge
claiming that the supposed dental differentiating features
are merely contrast artefacts created by the low resolution
of the photographs as published in the Chinese team's
paper and that these features do not appear in better-
quality photographic reproductions. They also note that
cultural and iconographical aspects appertaining to
Chinese art at the time of the bronzes' creation might
reconcile their double-digited trunks with Elephas after all,
not requiring the need to resurrect Palaeoloxodon.

In short, it is likely that this intriguing subject will attract further palaeontological scrutiny and
contention for some time to come.

Ornate sculpture of an Asian elephant Elephas
maximus (©Dr Karl Shuker)

http://kar I s huker .bl ogspot.co.uk/2Q1 5/01 /a-j urn bo-s ized-re vel ati on-fr om -chi na.htm I

2/2

12:40PM BST 02 Apr 201 5

telegraph.co.uk

Friday 03 April 2015

Sinbad the cat's 3,000-mile journey from Egypt to Hereford in shipping container

Stowaway ginger tom sneaks onto back of lorry at Alexandria port before travelling in
sealed container across Mediterranean Sea and through Europe to Moreton-on-Lugg

Sinbad travelled in a container across the Mediterranean Sea before
embarking on a road trip through Central Europe Sinbad travelled in a
container across the Mediterranean Sea before embarking on a road trip
through Central Europe Photo: Newsteam Photo: Newsteam

a road trip through Central Europe.

A cat is recovering after surviving
without food and water for 17 days
in a shipping container during a
3,000 mile journey to Britain - from
Egypt.

The stowaway ginger tom, who has
since been named Sinbad,
managed to sneak onto the back of
a lorry at Alexandria port in the
north of the African country on
March 8.

The cat then travelled in the sealed
container across the Mediterranean
Sea on a ferry before embarking on

Sinbad was finally found when the lorry arrived at the warehouse of Mediterranean Linen in
Moreton-on-Lugg, Hereford, and its cargo was unloaded on March 25.

Staff had heard desperate meows coming from inside the vehicle and found the cat had
made itself a bed in one of the container boxes of laundry linen. They cornered the eight-
month-old animal and gave it food and water before contacting the RSPCA.

Sinbad with Trainee Veterinary
Nurse Amy Wheeler and RSPCA
Inspector Pippa Boyd
(Newsteam)

Graham Monteath, managing
director at Mediterranean Linens,
said staff could not work out what
the noise was when the shipping
container arrived at their depot.

The 56-year-old added: "We heard

this screeching noise. I have never heard a cat make that noise before. One of the lads
thought it was a baby.

"I thought it could have been a buzzard trying to get into the warehouse because we do get
lots of them around here. I just turned round and thought 'good God', what is that?' Then this
cat's head popped out of the door.

"We checked the seal and it had not been tampered with. It was very odd. The RSPCA
woman said that she was very surprised how well the cat looked.

"It had scratched open one of the boxes. There was not much of a mess but we did not use
any of the linen by that. I gave him the beef which was for my lunch. He scoffed it. So he got
some good British food for his first meal on English soil."

RSPCA inspector Pippa Boyd said she had not seen anything like it in her eight-year career.

She added: "They showed me the paperwork. They have to seal the container and put a tag
on it there, which they did when the container left.

"They showed me the paperwork and the tag, and it did all match up. We thought maybe at
customs someone might have opened it up, but they didn't. He such a curious cat. He just
seems to be wanting to be everywhere and see everything. I imagine they were loading and
he just sneaked in."

Sinbad will now spend four months in quarantine, which will cost the RSPCA £2,000 so an

appeal webpage has been created to cover costs.

Ms Boyd added: "For us, it is a lot of money for one cat. But he has had such a plight and got
all of this way so the only thing we can do is get him through it. He is a very affectionate cat
and once he has finished his quarantine he will be looking for a loving home."

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Siriraj Medical Museum

atlasobscura.com

Contributonmichelle (Admin)

Housed in the oldest hospital - it's
where the King of Thailand goes when
he is ill - and medical school in
Thailand, est. 1886, the Siriraj Medical
Museum abounds with medical
curiosities. The Siriraj is actually
comprised of six different museums: a
museum of pathology, a forensics
museum, a museum of the history of
Thai medicine, a parasitology museum
an anatomical museum, and a

prehistoric museum.

The Siriraj’s incredible holdings include: Bones, preserved organs, pathological fetuses, the
mummified corpse of a notorious serial killer, a traditional Thai medicine shop, parasitic
worms, a two-and-a-half-foot-wide scrotum removed from a man afflicted with elephantiasis,
preserved sections of human skin bearing tattoos, poisonous snakes and tarantulas, rows of
skulls, the standing wax-filled remains of a cannibal, a delicately dissected nervous system,
and the skeleton of the museum's founder.

A strong stomach is recommended.

The Siriraj Museum website has lovely panoramic images of each museum. A personal
account of a visit by an Atlas Obscura Team Member can be found here

Edited by: Annetta Black (Admin), Dylan (Admin), Allison (Admin), EricGrundhauser (Admin),
dqcris

* Hours

Mon-Sat: 9-4

■ Website

o Siriraj Hospital Museums

• Address

2 Prannok Road, Siriraj Sub-District, Bangkoknoi District, Bangkok, 10170, Thailand

• Cost
40 baht

Sources

1. http://www.tour-bangkok-legacies.com/...

2. http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestina...

3. http://www.thaioasis.com/bkkv/siriraj...

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Site of Jesus' trial in Jerusalem: Herod's Palace remains 'found

near Tower of David' ibtimes.co.uk

Mary-Ann

Russo n

• By Mary-Ann Russon
January 5, 2015 13:01 GMT

could have been the site of the trial of Jesus (Oded Antman,
Israeli Ministry of Tourism)

Israeli government-backed
archaeologists believe they
have found the site where the
trial of Jesus before the
Romans was held, a location
near the Tower of David
Museum in Jerusalem.

The trial of Jesus, where
Roman procurator Pontius
Pilate sentenced Christ to
death, is believed by some to
have taken place in a part of
Herod's Palace.

But its exact location and the

route taken by pilgrims from the trial to where Jesus was crucified and buried (known as the
"Via Dolorosa") continues to be hotly debated by archaeologists, historians, Christian spiritual
leaders and scholars.

According to the Washington Post, the remains of Herod's Palace were found by Jerusalem
district archaeologists 15 years ago beneath an abandoned building located adjacent to the
Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem's Old City.

The building was being excavated as part of plans to expand the Tower of David
Museum and beneath it, an old prison was discovered, which was in use when the area was
under the control of the Ottoman T urks and the British, prior to the creation of Israel.

But while peeling back the layers of the prison, archaeologists discovered fabric-dyeing
basins dating back to the Crusades, together with foundations walls and an underground
sewage system possibly belonging to the huge palace built by Herod the Great.

The Gospels state Jesus of Nazareth was brought before Pontius Pilate in the "praetorium", a
Latin term referring to the tent of a general in a Roman encampment.

Some scholars argue the praetorium would have been located in the Roman military
barracks, which was at Antonia Fortress, about 1km away, while others say Pilate would have
been a personal guest of King Herod, and as such, the trial took place in the palace
compound.

The Tower of David, an ancient citadel located near the Jaffa
Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem (EdoM, Wikimedia
Commons)

"There is, of course, no inscription stating it
happened here, but everything —
archaeological, historical and gospel
accounts — all falls into place and makes
sense," Shimon Gibson, an archaeology
professor at the University of North Carolina,
told the Washington Post.

The Tower of David Museum stands on the
site of the Jerusalem Citadel, an ancient
citadel dating back to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods located near the Jaffa Gate entrance
to the Old City.

In the Gospel of John, the trial of Jesus was
described as taking place near a gate and on
a bumpy stone pavement, and these details
seem to fit with previous archaeological
findings near the prison.

The museum says the tour of the underground complex "reveals the timeline of Jerusalem"
and visitors can expect to see archaeological discoveries from many different periods in
history.

The tour lasts for two hours and tickets cost 45 Israeli New Shekel (£7.50, $1 1.40) for adults
and 35 Israeli New Shekel (£5.80, $8.87) for students.

In December, archaeologists announced they had discovered an unused gateway leading to
Herod's Palace underneath Herodium, a hilltop fortress built 12km south of Jerusalem.

Six conspiracy theories behind plunging oil prices

Eric Reguly- EUROPEAN BUREAU CHIEF

Published Thursday, Jan. 08 2015, 1 1:56 AM EST Last updated Thursday, Jan. 08 2015,

3:25 pm est theglobeandmail.com

A worker walks by an oil pump during a sandstorm on Jan. 8, 2015, in the desert oil fields of
Sakhir, Bahrain. (Hasan Jamali/AP)

Six conspiracy theories behind plunging oil prices

The world loves good conspiracy theories. They appeal to the paranoid in all of us, making us
suspect that dark and secret - always secret - forces are at work to deprive us of our wealth,
our happiness, even our lives.

Part of their attraction is their simplicity, even elegance. T o pin an arcane event, from a
political assassination to an economic collapse, on a conspiracy is to make the complicated
simple. Better yet, conspiracies are impossible to prove, which means they are impossible to
prove false. That, in turn, awards them varying degrees of credibility, allowing them to live on.

So it is with the price collapse that sent oil from $110 (U.S.) a barrel in June to about $50
today. How and why did it happen so fast? How do you explain the fall when global oil
demand is not, in fact, falling; it continues to rise. Surely, more than simple economics -
supply outstripping demand - is at play.

Easy answer: It’s a conspiracy.

It’s not just the conspiracy nuts who say so. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told a cabinet
meeting that the oil price collapse was “politically motivated” and a “conspiracy against the
interests of the region, the Muslim people and the Muslim world” (never mind that the OPEC
giant behind the price drop, Saudi Arabia, is rather Muslim). Russian President Vladimir Putin
in effect said the same. “We all see the lowering of the oil price. There's lots of talk about
what's causing it,” he said recently. "Could it be the agreement between the U.S. and Saudi
Arabia to punish Iran and affect the economies of Russia and Venezuela? It could.”

Ditto Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, the OPEC country driven to near collapse
because of the price fall. Answering his own rhetorical question, he explained that the low
price was engineered by the United States and its allies “to harm Russia.”

Herewith your handy guide to the most popular oil-plunge conspiracies, plus one that I made
up - my oil-soaked grassy knoll.

1. SLAPPING RUSSIA

Saudi Arabia controls OPEC. The problem for the Saudis is that Russia, the kingdom’s
greatest rival in the export market, is not part of OPEC, meaning Moscow doesn’t obey
Riyadh's orders. Russia is stealing market share from the Saudis, especially in China, the oil
market’s biggest growth area. Saudi Arabia can pump oil more cheaply than the Russians, so
what better way to punish Russia’s audacity than to push prices down? T o believe this theory,

you have to believe that Russia alone is stealing the Saudis’ market share. In truth, lots of
non-OPEC countries, Canada among them, are guilty of the same act.

2. SLAPPING VLADIMIR

In this conspiracy theory, the Saudis and the Americans have joined forces to hurt Mr. Putin,
not because he is throwing too much oil on the global market, but because of his support for
the murderous regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. The Saudis would claim that none
of its oil policies is political. But OPEC in general and the Saudis in particular are sometimes
driven by revenge politics. To wit: the 1973-74 Arab oil embargo, designed to punish the
Americans for their airlift support of Israel in the 1 973 Yom Kippur War.

3. SAUDI ARABIA VS. IRAN

Iran and Saudi Arabia are the great traditional rivals in the Middle East, both of them fuelled
by oil and the latter the favourite of the Americans since the fall of the Shah in the 1979
Islamic Revolution. The Saudis, according to the conspiracy theory, fear that the Americans
will upset the balance by inviting Iran into the tent, which would happen after the Iranians
agree with the West to end or curtail their nuclear program. The Saudis know that Iran needs
$140 a barrel to balance its budget, so why not mess them up by driving the price down to a
third that level? The trouble with that theory is that low prices are more likely to encourage the
desperate Iranians to sign a nuclear deal that the Americans support, all the better to end the
U.S.-led sanctions against Iran.

4. SAUDI ARABIA VS. CANADA

Keystone XL pipeline or not, the Canadians are sending enormous amounts of oil to the
United States - about 2.5 million barrels a day - and the number will rise at the expense of
Saudi and Venezuelan exports as the oil sands expand. What makes this a conspiracy theory
is that it sees the Saudis going specifically after the Canadians when everyone knows that
the real culprit is the United States and its surging shale oil production. To say that the Saudis
are using low prices to whack shale oil is not a conspiracy; it’s no doubt true.

5. SAUDI OWN-GOAL

Sir Bernard Ingham, who was Maggie Thatcher’s press secretary, had a good line about
conspiracy theories. “Many journalists have fallen for the conspiracy theory of government,”
he said. “I do assure you that they would produce more accurate work if they adhered to the
cock-up theory.” So it might be with the Saudis. Years ago, they decided to diversify their oil-
export-dependent economy by building massive refineries. Guess what? Refineries need oil
to refine, which meant that exports had to be held back. When exports are held back, export
market share falls. So does international political leverage. We don’t believe the conspiracy
theory that says the Saudis will pay the Iranians to bomb Saudi refineries.

6. IT’S THE ENVIRONMENT, STUPID

U.S. President Barack Obama conspired with the Saudis to flood the global market with oil to

bring down the U.S. shale oil industry. Why would he want to do that? Because the shale oil
glut sent prices spiralling down, threatening the development of renewable energy and
slowing progress in cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. This conspiracy theory is mine
and I am sticking to it.

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04/03

thelocal.es

Published: 27 Jan 2015 16:56 GMT+01:00

Spain planned to invade British colonies in Australia in the 1790s with a 100-ship
armada, recently unearthed Spanish naval documents reveal.

Spain, at that time a world power with colonies across the Americas and the Philippines,
feared that the British colony in Australia would be a threat to Spanish interests along the
Pacific.

Spanish naval documents found by Chris Maxworthy, of the Australian Association for
Maritime History, reveal the Spanish scheme, thought up by Carlos IV.

"The plan was to attack Sydney from the Spanish colonies in South America with a fleet of
100 medium-sized boats armed with cannons and 'hot shot' (a cannon that involved firing
heated shots that could set fire to ships or buildings)", he told The Australian Financial
Review.

Historians, however, say that if such an invasion had ever happened, Britain would quickly
have retaken the colony, due to its stronger military and vast commercial interests in the area.

Despite serious concerns over the threat the British colony posed to its Pacific interests,

Spain ultimately ditched the invasion plan.

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St Nazianz: Wisconsin Town Haunted by Priest and Mystic
Cult

cultofweird.com

By Charlie Hintz on February 27, 2015

The small town of St. Nazianz in Wisconsin is said to be cursed by the heretic priest of
the Catholic mystic cult that founded it in 1854.

The town of St. Nazianz is believed to be

one of the most haunted places in Wisconsin.
It was founded by a rogue priest who, upon
his death, is believed to have cursed the town
he built. Throughout the years, natural
disasters and numerous accounts of bizarre,
unexplained phenomena have helped keep
the legend alive.

Father Ambrose Oschwald was fleeing
religious persecution when he came to
Wisconsin in 1854. The Roman Catholic
Church had suspended him from his duties in
the parish of a small town in the Black Forest
of Germany due to “mystical, prophetic, and

heretical works.”

When Oschwald left, the congregation uprooted and followed him to the US. They made their
way to Wisconsin where, a 1920s newspaper article reported, a divine white heifer lead the
group to the site that would become St. Nazianz.

The community thrived there for many years. They called themselves “The Association,”
agreeing to share everything in common and work without pay. But strange things began to
happen when Oschwald fell sick in 1873.

The Death of Father Oschwald

A man named Anton Still stayed at Father Oschwald’s side while he was on his death bed.

He wrote:

“A number of times, I have obseived that he, with closed eyes, when there was no one else in
the room but I alone, would extend his hands in blessing, and then with his hand, signal
someone away, and yet I saw no one in the room.”

Throughout the night of February 26th, as Oschwald lay dying, there were reports of
mysterious pounding on the walls of his room, as well as residences throughout the town.

The sounds stopped when Oschwald died the following morning.

I ■Mllll I— ■■

St. Nazianz cemetery of priests and the crypt of Father

Oschwald

A judge from Manitowoc came to view Oschwald’s body the day before the funeral. He was
taken aback by the liveliness of the corpse, warning not to bury it because Oschwald was not
dead.

Oshwald’s tomb had not yet been complete, so his coffin was placed on view in a crypt
beneath the high alter of the old St. Ambrose church. The coffin was reopened on April 29th
for examination before it was to be placed in the completed chamber. A priest by the name of
Father Mutz, along with a group called the Oschwald Sisters, noted that his body had not
decayed, and there was no odor of corruption. Oshwald’s eyes had sunken in, but his skin
had a lifelike complexion, his hair and fingernails were growing. They washed his face and
noted that it served to give him an even more natural complexion.

1 925 postcard from St. Nazianz of
the tomb of Father Oschwald

The next day, 63 days after his
death, Oschwald was finally sealed
in his coffin and moved into the
completed burial vault.

The coffin was opened again on
October 4th, 1926, when it was
being moved into a new stone
mausoleum below Lorreto Hill. Local
health officer Dr. L.W. Gregory, as
well as many other members of the clergy, observed through a glass cover that Oschwald’s
corpse was still in remarkably good shape after 53 years. His skin had become shriveled and
sallow, but his body and vestments were still very much intact. The iron on his coffin and
rusted and fallen away long ago.

I JIII-T iiM invdiu, i- I.itmirr Ml >t n/. \\ is

Postcard from St. Nazianz showing the tomb of Father Oschwald

The crypt of Father Oschwald with the Chapel of
Our Lady of Loretto on the hill above

The Salvatorian Priests & Brothers arrived at St.
Nazianz in 1896 to continue what Oschwald had
started.

Oschwald remains in the mausoleum at the base of
the hill, overlooking a cemetery full of priests.
Legends of a “Catholic mystic cult" whose “secret
practices” drove them from their home in Germany
to found St. Nazianz still persist today.

JFK Prep & Salvatorian Seminary

The crypt of St Nazianz founder Father Oschwald

The old Salvatorian Seminary, now known as JFK Prep,
is a huge abandoned building rumored to be haunted by
the tortured souls of kids who suffered at the hands of
abusive nuns.

About Charlie Hintz

Cult of Weird founder and curator of the bizarre.
Send weird news, photos and videos to:
info@cultofweird.com Follow on: Facebook |
Pinterest | Google+

Abandoned JFK Prep school in St. Nazianz

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Man dies when making love with scarecrow he dressed in
lipstick and long-haired wig

2015-04-03 15:28:35 standardmedia.co.ke

By Mirror

Updated Friday, April 3rd 2015 at 15:28 GMT +3

A man was found dead in his home after having sex with a scarecrow that he had dressed up
in a wig, lipstick and strap-on sex toy.

The rotting remains of Jose Alberto were discovered in his home after neighbours reported a
foul smell coming from the building.

Police forced their way into the home in San Jose de Balcare, eastern Argentina, and were
stunned to discover the 58-year-old shepherd lying dead.

Next to him lay a scarecrow that had been dressed up as a woman - but wearing a strap-on
sex toy.

Rodolfo Moure, a spokesman for the prosecutor, said: "I initially thought there were two
bodies but then I realised one was a scarecrow wearing lipstick and a long-haired wig.

"It was lying next to the deceased and had a six-inch strap-on penis.

"There were no signs of violence and we are working on the assumption that the man died
during sex with the scarecrow.

"Straw had been stuffed inside the old clothes that had been sewn together to make the
scarecrow.

"We are now waiting the results of an autopsy.”

Neighbours said the man, who was known to live alone and had no mobile phone, was often
seen as a loner.

Copyright 2015 The Standard Group. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted
subject to appropriate credit being given to www.standardmedia.co.ke as the source

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Today's headlines

04/03 thelocal.es

The Local talks to Clive Finlayson, ornithologist, anthropologist and director of the Gibraltar
Museum, who has dedicated the last 25 years on anthropological studies of Neanderthal man
and the habitat within which they lived.

Clive Finlayson has made ground
breaking discoveries within caves on
Gibraltar.

How was the Strait of Gibraltar
different in the last days of the
Neanderthals than it is now?

Some 28,000 years ago, with the
effects of glaciation, the sea level in the
Strait of Gibraltar was 120 meters lower
than today.

Facing Tangier there was a group of
small islands separated by inlets of five to seven kilometers wide. On the east side of
Gibraltar the seashore was about four miles away from where it is today. These plains were
populated by pines and dunes, like a current day Dohana, but with additional protection from
the huge limestone rock of Gibraltar.

The plains provided hunting ground for the Neanderthals during the day and the shelter of
caves offered protection at night.

What kind of artifacts have you discovered?

We have found a range of materials that suggest a far more sophisticated way of life than
previously thought. Practical materials used for constructing shelter, coal to make fire and
stone tools. Shellfish, bones of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals highlight a broad
diet and indicate that Neanderthals hunted and returned to eat in the caves. Neanderthals
were very intelligent, with a very large brain capacity. We have found remains of up to 150
different bird species which give clue to a special relationship with birdlife. If we consider that
in Europe there are currently about 400 species of birds, this suggests that they hunted more
than 25 percent of species.

Were those the same bird species that we see today?

Yes, of course. There are many similarities. Not only with those species that live here today,
but also with migrating birds from the southwestern peninsula. Although there have been
climate fluctuations, there are many resemblances to the birds that inhabit the Dohana of
today. Plants too have carried through time, and we have found evidence that even in the
height of the Ice Age wild olive trees grew here.

What does it mean?

It means that despite glaciation in this area, the weather was not as extreme. We believe that
the proximity of the Atlantic and the absence of large mountains softened the climate, which
made it warmer than the rest of the peninsula. Climate here was a lot like the current day,
warm summers and cooler winters. England at this time was covered by kilometers of ice,
France too, even Castilla has remains of Reindeer, but here there were different animal
species suited to warmer climates and these went on to colonize the rest of Europe. The
Neanderthals had a rich hunting ground, a paradise! Unlike the harsher conditions in Europe
they were able to survive with an abundance of resources.

Was the Strait of Gibraltar as important a place for the bird’s migration as it is today?

Yes, but with a difference. The Sahara was covered by vegetation then. It was green, with
rivers and lakes. The stopover was not so significant for nourishment; the migratory birds
travelling south would have plenty of food at their destination.

And what about the rest of the fauna?

It was very unusual. There were hyenas, lions, leopards, but also wolves and grizzly bears. It
was a mixture of African and European wildlife that extended approximately for a 20 mile
radius. The Neanderthals hunted animals with crafted weapons.

The title of your lecture in Huerta Grande will be
'Hominids in Paradise, the Story of the Neanderthals and
their relationship with Birds'. Besides eating them, what
other relationship did they share with the birds?

Artifacts have shown that not only did they eat birds, but they
then went on to use bones as adornment. Raptor bones were
found with carved notches, these bones were selected based
on colour. The skills were not as elaborate as the American
Indians, but the bones, feather and tendons found were
clearly used for an aesthetic purpose.

Clive Finlayson will give a lecture at the Huerta Grande
Nature Centre, Pelayo (Spain) on March 27th at 6.30pm

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Michigan's St Joseph Lighthouse transformed into giant white
icicles

11:33 EST, 10 January 2015 \

11:33 EST, 10 January 2015 dailymail.CO.uk

By Sophie Jane Evans For Dailymail.com

With sub-zero temperatures, severe wind chills and snowfall, millions across the eastern US
have been desperately trying to stay warm this week.

But one photographer chose to brave the frigid weather for hours on end - to capture these
stunning photos of St Joseph Lighthouse in Michigan.

Donning sturdy boots and warm clothing, Joshua Nowicki trekked along the icy shore of Lake
Michigan on Thursday morning, armed with a camera.

He then captured a breathtaking array of photos of the frozen 30ft lighthouse and its pier,
both of which were completely blanketed in white icicles.

He later uploaded the images to his Facebook page, alongside pictures of circular formations
of ice - what he dubbed 'ice pancakes' - on the shore.

'Ice-covered lighthouse and 'ice pancakes' in St Joseph, Michigan,' wrote Mr Nowicki of his
photographs, which were taken during a blizzard.

Scroll down for video

Stunning: This photo, captured by Joshua Nowicki,
shows St Joseph Lighthouse and its pier, in Michigan,
both of which are completely blanketed in white
icicles. It also features a number of circular formations
of ice - which Mr Nowicki dubs 'ice pancakes' - on the
shore

Frozen over: Donning sturdy boots and
warm clothing, Mr Nowicki trekked
along the icy shore of Lake Michigan
on Thursday morning to take the
beautiful photos. Above, a close-up
shot of the historic St Joseph
Lighthouse, which is surrounded by
mist and covered in ice

Icy: He later uploaded the images to
his Facebook page, where they were
deemed 'stunning' by users. Above, ice
detail on the south pier

Frigid conditions: Mr Nowicki wrote: 'It
is amazing how much the lake has
started to freeze up in just a few days',
Above, ice on the shore

Two days earlier: This photo shows St
Joseph Lighthouse on Tuesday - as the
extreme conditions started to take hold
and freeze the pier

Brave: Mr Nowicki, who called the
circular pieces of ice on the shore 'ice
pancakes', is seen at Lake Michigan
during Thursday's blizzard

It is believed the disc-shaped pieces of
ice may have been created by stormy
waves tumbling and pummeling ice
crystals into 'pancake' formations.

Mr Nowicki's images - some taken two
days earlier - were met with a positive
response from Facebook users, with
many deeming them 'stunning'.

Marge Hess Yetzke wrote: 'That is so
unique. It looks like a frozen outer space scene’, while Kathy Searles said: 'The wonder of
nature is amazing!'

And David Howton joked: 'Wow, almost too cold to be out taking photographs I bet!'

It comes as a deadly arctic blast is continuing to wreak havoc across the US, with lake-effect
snow expected to dump up to five feet of snow on parts of New York state this

weekend. Meanwhile, below-freezing
temperatures and wind chills are set to
continue to affect a large stretch of the
country.

This morning, residents from
Northeastern Montana to Northwestern
New York were given a windchill
advisory by the National Weather
Service.

In such frigid conditions, frostbite could
set in with just 15 minutes' exposure to
the air, the Weather Service said,
advising people to keep pets indoors.

And over the next 48 hours,
temperatures could fall 15 to 25 degrees
below average in states surrounding the
Great Lakes, NBC reported.

At around 7am today, a low of minus 23
degrees was recorded in Manitowish,
Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, in Northeast New York,
residents are preparing to deal with
between one to five feet of snow. 'Heavy lake-effect snow will shift back to the north into the
Buffalo South Towns and perhaps into the city for a time Saturday night,' said AccuWeather
Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.

Misty: In addition to his captivating lighthouse pictures, the photographer also captured
several images of downtown St Joseph (above)

Extreme conditions: This image, also taken by Mr Nowicki, shows an Amtrak train arriving in
St Joseph on Thursday amid snow and wind

Snowfall: It comes as a deadly arctic blast is continuing to wreak havoc across the US, with
lake-effect snow expected to dump up to five feet of snow on parts of New York state this
weekend. Above, this graphic shows the areas where lake-effect snow is set to strike today

Forecast: Today, New York residents can expect to see highs of only 22 degrees, while those
in Boston will see highs of 23 degrees

Warmer; Tomorrow, the temperature is predicted to rise a little across the country - although
there will still be strong winds in many areas

Last night, residents from Northeastern Montana to Northwestern New York were given a

windchill advisory. Above, Monday's forecast

Wind gusts of up to 40mph could make temperatures feel as low as minus 30F.

And in Texas, locals are bracing for severely icy roads that could lead to fatal traffic
accidents, according to Weather.com.

By Monday, the wintry weather could be even more widespread - with freezing rain and sleet
expected to affect commuters from Louisville to Boston.

It comes just a day after the weather forced schools across the US to close, filled up
homeless shelters and even caused penguins to be taken inside.

The record-breaking cold, which has already claimed the lives of at least 21 people, led
officials to shut down a 132-mile stretch of the Thruway in western New York on Friday - for
the second time since the epic November snowstorms - amid concerns over the safety of
drivers.

Meanwhile, hundreds of schools in Chicago, Boston and other large cities from the South to
the Northeast and Midwest decided to close for a second day running, unable to cope with
the sub-zero climates. Others chose to delay their opening by several hours.

Charred: On Friday, roughly 190 vehicles were involved in fatal pile-up along a snowy
Michigan interstate that caused fires on trucks carrying fireworks and acid. Above, the
charred remains of vehicles are pictured on Interstate 94 on Saturday following the accident

Wrecked: According to Michigan State Police Lt. Rick Pazder, the Friday morning accident
killed one person. Above, a wrecked lorry

Clear-up: Road crews work to clear wrecked vehicles and debris along Interstate 94, the day
after a series of crashes closed the highway between mile markers 88 and 92 in eastern
Kalamazoo County, near Galesburg, Michigan. There were apparently 193 vehicles involved

Wrapped up: In this photo, a cyclist donning warm clothing is pictured riding through a park
with the frozen Lake Michigan behind him

Cold weather: In Northeast New York, residents are preparing to deal with between one to
five feet of snow today. Above, Spanish tourists are pictured taking a photo of the New York
skyline on a snow-covered viewing area of Jersey City in New Jersey on Friday afternoon

Blanketed: A student walks through a Calvin College parking lot filled with snow-covered cars
on Friday in Grand Rapids, Michigan

And it is was not just humans who were affected by Friday's cold - in Pittsburgh, two baby
African penguins were moved indoors at the National Aviary, where the endangered animals
that are native to South Africa will remain until temperatures rise.

A day earlier, train rails cracked by the cold had caused severe delays for commuters in

Washington, D.C, while tens of thousands of airline passengers were also hit by 1,937 delays
and 515 cancellations by mid-afternoon, according to FlightAware.com.

Commuters vented their frustration on Twitter throughout Thursday, with many posts
including photos of stations and trains jam-packed with people. One Twitter user wrote that
he loves being told to avoid lines that have delays, adding, 'OK, I'll just move my house and
job for the day.'

The coldest place in the country on Thursday was recorded to be Estcourt Station, the
northernmost point in Maine, with temperatures of minus 38 degrees F (minus 39 C),
meteorologist Dan Petersen of the National Weather Service said.

Records were broken from Montpelier, Vermont, at minus 20 F (minus 29 C), to Jackson,
Kentucky, with minus 1 F (minus 18 C), he said. Snow flurries were reported as far south as
Jacksonville, Florida.

Cindy Palmer scrapes snow and ice off of her friend's vehicle parked outside of the Fraternal
Order of Eagles in Muskegon, Michigan

Making the most of the snow: Colin Ferris, 1 1 , plays goalkeeper during a game of hockey at
Muskegon Winter Sports Complex, Michigan

Geared up: A jogger wearing reflective sunglasses makes his way north along State Street as
snow falls in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Friday

Morning exercise: A jogger, from New Jersey, is pictured running in the snow following an
early morning storm at Liberty State Park

Clearing up: A snow plow makes its way down South Western Avenue in Marion, Indiana, on
Friday as temperatures fell to below zero

Aftermath: Doug Brende, of Sioux Falls, is pictured shoveling snow from the sidewalk outside
his house on Friday following strong winds

'It's the face, it's like being hit with a sheet of ice,' Bart Adlam, 40, president of U.S. yogurt
supplier siggi's, said as he rode a bike through Times Square on his way to work at 8am in
New York. The wind chill there reportedly made 9 degrees F (minus 12 C) feel like 2 below
(minus 18 C).

The frigid weather has even affected Florida - with snow flurries reported in the Jacksonville
area on Thursday afternoon, the first time a trace of snow has been reported since December
26, 2010. Before that, the last sighting of snow was on December 22, 1995.

AMID THE DEADLY COLD, WINDS AND SNOW... ARIZONA POSTS A RECORD HIGH
TEMPERATURE

As the eastern US was battling a deadly arctic blast, Phoenix, Arizona, posted a record high
temperature of 80 degrees on Wednesday, breaking the previous 1948 record of 79.

Over in Tempe, 74-year-old Bill Justice was wearing shorts while hanging out in his yard, just
days after the National Weather Service announced that 2014 was the warmest year ever
recorded in Arizona.

'We can enjoy all kinds of things in the winter and the same thing in the summer,' Mr Justice
said, adding that if he lived in Colorado or another cold climate, his swimming pool would be
frozen by now.

Meanwhile, there were reports of a water main break in Indiana resulting in several cars
becoming 'glued' to the road by frozen water. Residents were forced to abandon their
stranded cars and use public transport, or walk, to get to work and school.

And on Wednesday, a man was found dead in a portable toilet on the Northwest Side of
Chicago, according to police. The cause of 51 -year-old Marek Bobak's death was cold
exposure and coronary artery atherosclerosis, the Cook County Medical Examiner
determined on Thursday.

Even sledding hills around Chicago and ice-skating rinks in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, were
shut down because of risk of wind chill, while Maine's Sugarloaf Mountain closed ski trails
because of 'Arctic conditions.'

Earlier this week, the extreme conditions caused an 18-vehicle pileup on a western
Pennsylvania interstate, leaving two people dead and nearly two dozen injured.

Nine trucks, several of them tractor-trailers, and nine cars were involved in the crash on
Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 80 in Clarion Township, state police said. At least one of
the trucks was carrying hazardous material, but no leaks were found.

None of the injuries was thought to be life-threatening, but three of the 20 or so people taken
to the hospital appeared to have serious injuries. The others were treated for everything from
bumps to broken bones.

And on Friday, around 193 vehicles were involved in fatal pile-up along a snowy Michigan
interstate that caused fires on trucks carrying fireworks and acid. According to Michigan State
Police Lt. Rick Pazder, the Friday morning accident killed one person - a trucker from Ottawa,
Canada.

Meanwhile, authorities have said the severe weather and blowing snow were factors in the
deaths of two northern Michigan men — an 85-year-old who was struck by a car while
crossing a road to get his mail and a 64-year-old who was hit by a car while clearing snow.

A car struck 85-year-old Carl Dewey on Wednesday in Helena Township, about 30 miles
northeast of Traverse City, the Antrim County sheriff's department said. There were whiteout
conditions at the time, the department told The Grand Rapids Press.

Picturesque: This photograph shows a black horse walking in a field on Kennedy Creek Road
in Pennsylvania during a brief snow squall

Thankful for their thick coats: Snow-covered bisons take in the morning sunshine at the
Buffalo Zoo in Buffalo, New York, on Friday

Stuck in the snow: Also in Buffalo, a fresh layer of snow covers cars in Norwood Avenue,
making it difficult for people to get to work

Out of service: In this photo, snow is pictured covering a wooden rollercoaster at Michigan's
Adventure in North Muskegon, Michigan

The Kalkaska County sheriff's department said 64-year-old Zane Chwastek of Bear Lake
Township was using a snow blower in his driveway Wednesday when a car slid off the road
and struck him.

But amid the frigid conditions, Phoenix, Arizona, posted a record high temperature of 80
degrees on Wednesday, breaking the 1948 record of 79.

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The unbelievable way people in Northern Sweden say ‘y es ’

January 16,2015 newS.COITI.au

People in Northern Sweden have the world’s weirdest way of saying ‘yes’

Head back, lips pursed and a
sharp intake of breath.
Source: Supplied

YOU would think “ja” would
be an easy enough way to
say “yes”.

But in northern Sweden,
citizens have simplified it
even more.

Instead of a word, a quick
intake of breath through

pursed lips indicates the affirmative.

The bizarre practice can prove very confusing to outsiders.

The Local’s Oliver Gee, who visited the region to explore the strange tradition, said that when
he first heard it, he thought people were simply impressed by him.

It also sounds a bit like they might be a bit shocked.

Ideally, locals say, the sound is accompanied by a casual shrug.

?; Supplied

Pretend you have a mint in your
mouth. Source: Supplied

It could be a “whoosh”, a “shoop” or a
“fjo”. Source: Supplied

“It’s as if you have a mint in your
mouth,” said a woman from the city of
Umea.

“It’s an easy way to say it, you don’t
have to open your mouth,” added
another.

“What a delightfully quirky language you Swedes have,” said YouTube user Milton Dew.

“I'll bet 10 dollars you made a shwoop sound
when you watched this video,” added
Magneto.

This Swede looks positively alarmed. But he’s
just saying yes. Source: Supplied

No, your story isn’t that astounding. Source:
Supplied

Commenters from cities in southern Sweden,
including Stockholm, said it had been
adopted there to some extent too.

Jen Reuterberg said he would write the word
“fjo”, although others use “shoop", “whoosh”
or other spellings.

But is it really any easier than a nod, a “ja” or
a few positive noises?

“I’d say it requires slightly less energy than
saying ‘mm’,” said Stefan Andersson. “When
saying ‘mm’, you have to breathe out air with
enough power to get your vocal cords
vibrating, but with ‘suup’ you only have to
take a quick breath through your teeth.”

So now you know. Whoosh!

Story by

• by: EMMA REYNOLDS

• From: news.com.au

• 22 hours ago January 16, 2015 5:28PM

Sykes’ reputation and his Yeti project get slammed doubtfulnews.com

by idoubtit • April 5, 2015 • 0 Comments

As we updated yesterday, Bryan Sykes’ claim of mystery DNA is being hyped by
the media apparently ahead of his new book about his Yeti/Bigfoot project (the
results of the Oxford-Lausanne Collateral Hominid Project which had a goal of
collecting organic material for so called “cryptids”, including that which people
believe may be from Bigfoot, and analyzing the DNA in the samples). His television
coverage was sound, the paper was published in a reputable journal, but then it
was all downhill from there.

His results were challenged twice. Here and here. The second rebuttal
prompted a defensive (and rather ignorant) response from Sykes
regarding molecular taxonomy. Not only does he continue to dismiss
application of statistical methods to DNA, but now he’s accused of
making up an institute. It’s catching the attention of other professionals
in the community and they are not amused.

Scientist savaged for Bigfoot claim | The Sunday Times.

A GENETICIST at Oxford University whose new book claims to
offer “the first scientific evidence on the survival ” of apemen such
as the yeti and Bigfoot, has been attacked by colleagues who say
the claims are nonsense and his research institute does not exist.

This is paywalled but here is a copy of the print version. More is provided by the
blog biochemistri.es.

[The 2014 Royal Society journal paper] gave Sykes’s affiliation as the
Institute of Human Genetics at Wolfson College, Oxford. Sykes is a
fellow of Wolfson but he admitted the institute was mythical. “The journal
required some sort of additional address in the college and, hey presto, I
became an institute!”

Sykes’s book says he has been professor of human genetics at Oxford
since 1997, but university officials said he had not held that post for a
decade or so.

Here is the first Times piece:

What is going on here? Is this standard practice to embellish your credentials and

23.0I.IS / II

Scientist savaged
for Bigfoot claim

sykes

times leake

to dismiss other professionals in order to
support a book that so far has been promoted
as concluding something more sensational than
it really does? I’m baffled. This does not bode
well. As I remarked on a Facebook post, “This is
turning into a fiasco.” A friend remarked
“Turning into?” Yes, indeed, it’s clearly already
there. Bad form all around.

I’d also like to address the probable accusation
that Sykes is being put upon because of the
controversial subject, cryptids. Well, that’s
deserved. He is making an extraordinary claim -
one had better have the ducks in line, so to speak. It’s curious that this project is
garnering more interest from other professionals but rather sailing clear over the
heads of the non-scientific Bigfoot community who is not in any position to support
it.

Tip: Eliecer Gutierrez and Ron Pine

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F Russian apewoman could have
been a yeti, says top geneticist

CM im Moody

A stooped silhouette on a mounts intup,
a bowl ui the undergrowth: a sudden
shower of stones bulled from the
Shadows of the wilderness
l-rooi tile Hinudaran yeti to the
bigfoot rf northwest America, thou-
sands are convinced that they have
gtuapwd Mimettuna not Altogether
human Now an academic genet met
dainty to have found the mail promts

mg evidence yet that Homo .sopieu* may

not be entirely til one in its genus
Brv»n Sykes emeritus professor of
human genetics .it the University of
Oxford, has identified a strain of west
African ON A on the Geonjiaii-Kussian
border that he believes could belong to
a tub-i^ei'les of modern humane
I n the m id-IOth century a Jandownrr
in Abkhazia in the Caucasus ucifmrecl
a slave called Zana, a 6ft 6m dark
tkoined woman covered in thick
auburn hair who had been trapped HI
the Caucasus mountain* ami appeared
In be half-bum in huff-ape Zana hilar
lead four children h> local men. and
some of htrdmoend.ws dill live in the
region. According to Professor SvkcsS
•vrulysisoftheir DNA. she was "100 IW
cent African" but hurt little physical or
genetic resemblance 10 any modern
African group

Witnesses described tier as liavmc
■.iHthcifiaiactcnshcsofawildaiunial .
*The most frith (nun*! feature wa* her
expression, which was pure animal, not

. .v ivat of Africa mix* than 100.01X1
yean ago anil hved la the remroe wilds
nt the Cauranw for many generations
Priitcsior Sykes said that he had
made farther discovenes about /ana
since he wrote the book "I hey wdl be
pubhslud in the regular identlfir press

M> I Cl

modem African

human." one Runaan lootofost who
collated »-ariou> accounts of Zano wrote
in 19% ‘Her atiiletic power was enof-
nvxis She wuulll outrun a Iwrae and
swim across the Moskva liver evtn
when It rose in violent high tide ‘
VVlule the most obvious explanatuei
is that she was a runaway Ottoman
»Uvc. Professor Sykes believes that her
unparalleled DNA militate! again*
t fit* thixwy. In Ills new book Dic-Volinr
of f hr Hmsf, extracts of which are
puhiished right, he fkxtts the tiypo
thesis that Zana's ancestors may hnvv

timessykes

lict ImiSun- including a csaim that be
diararenra genetic evidence of an
unknown spear* of bear that might
account for reti sightiixc' in Bhutan
The genetarst who lass year wrote
the flirt paper on the DNA ol "anoma-
foin primates tv te pu Wished in a pee r-
a-viewed scientific journal. wrote that
in spkr of Ihr lack of proof pii'il ive from
his analysis of the purported yeti hairs,
ho had developed a <0x1? sense from
tpeakiizr to duieiu of witnesses that
tlieie was Something out there’
tVhetlwr the hmt candidal efm 1 rare
of apenwn is the yeti, the bigfoot or Ihe
Runian alma-ly. Profetwr Sykn could
not say. "Blgtcot has many more people
Uvuigtofind it."heiiaiil "But I suppose
cilltet the yeti or the almx'almaslv
which liveui in accessible and very thin
ulalcO nymns. is the roort likely. '

yokai.com

Taira no Masakado

A: Taira no Masakado was a samurai of the Heian period, a
powerful warrior, and a great leader. He was born either in the
late 800s or early 900s CE and was killed in 940. After his death,
his spirit is said to have returned as a vengeful ghost and brought
destruction across the country. Along with Emperor Sutoku and
Sugawara no Michizane, he is one of the Nihon San Dai Onryo —
Three Great Onryo of Japan.

Though Taira no Masakado’s birth date is unknown, he is
believed to have been born sometime around when Sugawara no
Michizane died. A Meiji period biography of Taira no Masakado
suggests that he may have been Sugawara no Michizane’s reincarnation; his revolt against
the emperor may actually have been a continuation of Michizane’s curse.

ORIGIN: Taira no Masakado was born into the Kanmu Heishi, the clan of Taira descended
from Emperor Kanmu. It was an elite family. Masakado had a privileged childhood in the
capital, after which he settled down in Shimosa Province in Eastern Japan, northeast of
modern day Tokyo. His troubles only began after his father died. Inheritance laws at this time
were not firmly established, and his uncles tried to steal most of his father’s land. They
claimed their royal lineage gave them the right to do so.

In 935 CE, the dispute with his family members broke into outright battle. Masakado was
ambushed by one of his uncles and a number of Minamoto warriors. But Masakado was a
powerful warrior. He quickly defeated them, and then took his revenge by burning their lands,
ravaging the countryside, and slaughtering thousands. This brought him into conflict with
other relatives by blood and by marriage, who brought their dispute to the emperor.

Taira no Masakado was summoned to court to answer charges of the relatives of the dead
Minamoto warriors. Masakado was not only brave, he was also smart. He had taken great
pains to remain within the law and proved that he had good reason for his killings. After only a
few months, he was fully pardoned when the court offered a general amnesty in
commemoration of Emperor Suzaku’s coming of age.

Taira no Masakado returned to his home, but soon found himself under attack. This time, it
was his father-in-law and his relatives. Again, Masakado quickly defeated them. To avoid
stirring up more political trouble, Masakado received a warrant to apprehend his attackers.
Now, with legal sanction for his military action, he stormed into their lands on a quest for
revenge.

In 938 CE, Taira no Masakado received another court summons for questioning about a
quarrel with one of the cousins who had attacked him. This time, Masakado ignored the
summons. He raised a large force and invaded Hitachi Province. He conquered eight
provinces: Shimotsuke, Kozuke, Musashi, Kazusa, Awa, Sagami, Izu, and Shimosa. The
whole time, he maintained his innocence, insisting that his campaign was legal under the
terms of his warrant.

The government was seen as ineffectual and the nobles as abusive by the peasants of the
time. Taira no Masakado, on the other hand, treated the peasants of his conquered domains
much better than their former masters did. His insurrection was seen as a salvation by many
peasants. They welcomed him gladly. The court feared that Taira no Masakado was
preparing to overthrow the government and declare himself the new Emperor of Japan. He
was condemned as a rebel and a traitor.

A number of warriors — including Masakado’s ally Fujiwara no Hidesato and some his own
relatives — were commissioned by the government to take his head. They caught up with
Masakado’s army in Shimosa province on the fourteenth day of the second month of 940 CE.
They attacked during a night ambush and quickly defeated the rebels. Masakado’s men were
outnumbered ten to one. Masakado was beheaded, betrayed by his friends and family. The
head was brought back to Kyoto to be displayed in the east market as a message to would-
be rebels.

LEGENDS: Strangely, Taira no Masakado’s head did not decompose. Many months after it
was first displayed in the east market, it still looked as fresh as the day it was severed. The
eyes had grown fiercer, and the mouth twisted up into a hideous grimace. Night after night
the head would call out, “Where is my murdered body!? Come here! Reattach my head and
let me fight once again!” And then things got really strange.

One night the head began to glow. It flew off into the sky, across the country, towards
Shimosa. The head eventually grew tired and landed to rest in a fishing village called
Shibazaki (which would one day grow into the city of Edo). The villagers who found the head
cleaned it and buried it. A shrine was erected over the grave and named Kubizuka — the
mound of the head. Masakado was honored and worshipped by the peasants as a true
warrior, a symbol of justice who stood in heroic defiance of a corrupt and lazy nobility. He was
seen as an underdog who was repeatedly betrayed and eventually murdered by those he
should have been able to trust. Despite his deification and popularity among the lower
classes, his ghost was not appeased. A few years after his head was buried, the ghost of a
samurai began to be seen in the neighborhood of his shrine.

In the early 1300s, a great plague struck Edo. Many people died. The plague was attributed
to Taira no Masakado’s anger. In order to appease him, his spirit was moved from his small
shrine to the larger and more prestigious Kanda Shrine. He was designated one of the main
gods, and his spirit was placated — fora while. In 1874, Emperor Meiji visited the Kanda
Shrine. It was viewed as inappropriate for an enemy of the imperial family like Masakado to
be honored when the emperor was visiting, and so his deity status was revoked. His shrine
was moved to a smaller building outside of the main shrine.

Taira no Masakado’s anger returned in 1928. After the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed
much of the city, the site of his Kubizuka was chosen as the temporary location for the
Ministry of Finance. Shortly afterwards, the Minister of Finance became sick and died. Over a
dozen other employees died, and even more became sick or were injured in falls and
accidents in the building. Rumors about the curse ran began to spread. The Ministry of
Finance building was demolished and a memorial service for Masakado was held at the
Kanda Shrine.

Throughout the 20th century, a number of other accidents, fires, sicknesses, and mysterious
sightings were attributed to the curse of Taira no Masakado. Each time, purification rituals
were performed. Finally, in 1984, in response to public pressure, his deity status was
reinstated. Today, great pains are taken not to anger his ghost. For example, it is common
practice for television stations to visit the grave of his head, still located in what is now
Otemachi, Tokyo. They pay their respects to him before his character appears on any show.
The Kubizuka is maintained by an organization of local businesses and volunteers who have
taken on the responsibility of upkeeping of his grave.

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Taking pride in a troubled legacy - Independent. ie

Published 05/04/2015 \ 02:30

independent, ie

Taking pride in a troubled legacy

Critics say the Easter Rising was a disaster and costly mistake. But people shouldn’t be bullied
out of a sense of pride in the revolutionary generation

Open Gallery 2

The shattered remains of the General Post Office in Sackville
Street, Dublin, after the Easter Rising.

Diarmuid Ferriter at the GPO

As we mark the 99th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising,
questions that have long been asked about the necessity,
impact and the legacy of the Rising will, once again, come into
sharp focus. Unsurprisingly, given the role of violence in 1916
and subsequent decades, these questions have been a feature
of debating the Rising, the War of Independence and civil war,
for decades.

One of the most contentious assertions associated with these
controversies is the idea that the Free State could have been
achieved without the Rising and that it was therefore completely
unnecessary.

With the backdrop of the Troubles in Northern Ireland from the 1970s to the 1990s, 1916 and its legacy
were scorned by some. For historian and Labour Party politician Conor Cruise O'Brien, for example, it
was the origin of all later ills.

In the 1970s, O'Brien described 1916 leader Padraig Pearse as "a manic, mystic nationalist with a cult of
blood sacrifice and a strong personal motivation towards death".

He added: "A nation which pretends to take a personality of that type as its mentor, without really
meaning it, is already involved in a disaster, a disaster of intellectual dishonesty and moral obliquity."

For others, such disparagement was not about genuine historical revision based on an assessment of
new evidence and an appreciation of context, but a politically driven revisionism. It amounted to a
denigration of a legitimate revolutionary impulse that had become, in the modern era, an
embarrassment.

Undoubtedly some historians, in response to the Troubles, began to paint their history in black and white
instead of grey, absorbing messy reality into a neat narrative of constitutional progress that had been
interrupted by undemocratic physical force advocates.

Reordering the Civil War generation as pro-state democrats or anti-state dictators was common, as
some scholars felt it vital to undermine the Provisional IRA during the Troubles. But some of what was
criticised as political revisionism was also about legitimately challenging those who were abusing history
and falsifying the past for their own ends.

The idea that the 1916 Rising and all that flowed from it was unnecessary still has much currency; former
Taoiseach John Bruton, for example, has been adamant recently that the 1916 Rising was a costly
mistake.

But in tandem with the peace process and more distance from the revolutionary era, some of the heat

The shattered remains of the General Post Office in
Sackville Street, Dublin, afterthe Easter Rising.

has gone out of these rows, which is no bad thing.

While the historical realities and divisions of 100 years ago need to be recognised, commemorating with
dignity and an absence of rancour is surely preferable to some of the bile associated with these debates
in the past.

Moving beyond the limitations of the debate in previous decades allows for a more textured approach
and for people to resist attempts to bully out of existence the pride they might feel in the revolutionary
generation.

But for all the rows and the variety of perspectives relevant to remembering and commemorating the
revolutionary decade of 1913-23, it should not be forgotten that many, for too long, were deprived of a
basic knowledge of the revolution.

On a Friday night in November 1968, Dublin teenager Gene Kerrigan, now one of Ireland's best-known
journalists, was watching the Late Late Show on RTE. A guest on the programme was the Australian
historian, Calton Younger, who was there to talk about his new book on the Irish Civil War, fought from
1922-23.

Kerrigan was in for a rude awakening; as he recalled: "I watched, slightly puzzled at first, then more than
a little agitated. What civil war? I had lately turned 19, five years out of school, making my way in the
world, and I'd just discovered that there had been a civil war in my country only 26 years before I was
born."

It prompted him to dig out his old primary school history textbook, James Carty's A Junior History of
Ireland, the version published in 1959, which celebrated the 1916 martyrs and then proceeded to the
Treaty negotiated between Britain and Irish republicans at the end of 1921.

That was it. "There ended the lesson" as Kerrigan recalled.

"There wasn't a single word in the book or in my schooling about the bloodshed that led from the Treaty
and the split which created the dominant political culture of the decades that followed".

Kerrigan, of course, was not alone in his ignorance; one of the legacies of the Civil War was a silence
about divisive events; for all those from the 1920s to the 1960s who engaged in score-settling and
writing one-sided accounts of events of the revolutionary period, there were many more who would not
talk or write about it; the fact that an Australian was the first to publish a detailed history of the Civil War
was revealing.

The previous year, Taoiseach Jack Lynch told historian Eoin Neeson that even if Britain opened state
papers from 1922, the Irish government would not, as access "might well stir domestic controversies that
best lie buried."

Such reluctance and caution is far removed from the current situation. The National Archives Act of 1986
allowed papers for the revolutionary period to be made more accessible; other private archives began to
collect the personal papers of revolutionary veterans, and archives long under lock and key, including
the Bureau of Military History Statements - the personal accounts from participants in the revolution
collected in the 1940s and 1950s and then locked up - were opened in 2003.

More recently, the applications of those who applied for military service pensions based on their service
during the War of Independence and Civil War have begun to be released.

All of these sources have made it possible for the revolutionary decade of 1913-23 and its participants to
be re-evaluated, with a variety of new perspectives now possible on the motivations, mentalities and
experiences of that generation.

The witness accounts do not contain all the answers and have to be treated with caution; memories
could be faulty, prejudices could be at work as scores were settled and some may have had reason to
either exaggerate or be overly reticent.

But the combination of all the material now accessible means we can think in a more layered and
nuanced way about identity during the revolution, and try to understand the participants through the lens
of their era.

As summed up simply by the novelist Roddy Doyle in 2012: "There are more layers to being Irish" than
his generation, born in the 1950s, were led to believe. Doyle also suggested, "there should be questions
so that we give back these people their humanity. Let's see human beings making these decisions,
flawed and all as they are."

That amounts to wise advice and is possible to aspire to given the range of sources now available.

One of my aims in writing a new account of the revolutionary period was to do justice to this new archival
material; another was to look at how, over the decades, contemporary politics has influenced how the
revolution has been written about and commemorated.

Remembering the revolution has always been complicated by a shifting political and academic focus, but
one thing cannot be denied.

The most important commemorative priority should be about informing, educating and ensuring that
young Irish citizens have a good knowledge of what happened during the revolution. This will ensure that
they are not subjected to propagandist versions of what happened, or have to discover it, like Gene
Kerrigan in 1968, by accident.

Diarmaid Ferriter is Professor of Modern Irish History at UCD. His book A Nation and Not a Rabble: The
Irish Revolution 1913-1923 has just been published

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The Rougarou

blogspot.com

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

While searching for stories about the rougarou, I came across this article by DS Duby and
thought I'd share. You can read more of his legend stories at http://dsduby.hubpages.com/

In my book, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, ten year old Nikki Landry hears a howling
sound coming from a nearby swamp island and wonders if it is the dreaded rougarou her
papa has warned her about. What is a rougarou? Read on...

The Rougarou - Southern Louisiana

By DS Duby http://dsduby.hubpages.com/

The legends of the rougarou, or loup-garou, have been passed down from generation to
generation as long as Louisiana has been inhabited by modern man. The rougarou are
closely related to the European version of the werewolf, but has a few very distinct
differences from the wolf men seen in movies and on television.

Wolves are not native to Louisiana, so many times the beast in the story is replaced with
other animals such as dogs, pigs or cattle, and generally appear as being pale white in color.
As the story goes, the rougarou will wander the streets at night searching for a savior
amongst the crowds of people. It will run through and cause havoc to each individual until
somebody eventually shoots or stabs the creature.

With the first drop of blood drawn in the dying blow the beast will then turn back into a man
and reveal to its attacker his true name. This legend is said to usually happen within the
smallest of towns in Louisiana, because of this the rougarou is often already known by its
killer. Before the dying man takes his last breath of life he will warn his savior that he can not
mention a word of the incident to anyone for one full year, or he too will suffer the same fate,
and become the rougarou.

Parents are often known to spin the tales of the rougarou to children who misbehave, warning
them that if they don't straighten up they will be visited by the rougarou in their bed come
nightfall. One account tells of a boy who encountered the beast while on his way home from a
night out with friends. As the boy was walking along a large white dog was following behind
nipping at his heels and antagonizing the boy to attack. Finally out of annoyance and slight
anger the boy took out his knife and slashed the dog open, at that point the beast then turned
back into a man.

In this case, the rougarou told the boy how he had sold his soul to the devil to gain prosperity,
but was tricked by Satan and changed into the beast instead. As the curse seems to demand,
he then warned the boy of the penalty of mentioning the events that had taken place, but the
boy just couldn't resist.

After repeating the story to several friends the boy started to disappear from his room at night
and none of his friends of family could find him anywhere until the following morning, at which
point he would appear back in his room with no explanation to where he had been.

This went on for about a year, until one morning his body was found laying in the street. The
police claimed it was most likely suicide, but friends and family of the boy knew that there
would soon be a new rougarou roaming the streets. Anyone who has ever lived in a small
town knows that no story can be kept secret for long, not even the tale of the rougarou.

Sharon Ledwith

Your post sent a chill down my spine. Funny how lore and legend creep into even the
smallest communities. Plus I love all the different names for a werewolf. At some point
there has to be a fragment of truth to these stories. Thanks for another great post about
the south, Rita! You should create an ebook full of Louisiana tidbits and offer for free on
your website!

Jennifer R. Povey

Arooooo. Love the werewolves.

Sloane Taylor

Rita, you have the most amazing posts. I really enjoy being on the bayou.:)

Patricia said...

Ooh, I like this. Werewolves have always intrigued me so this rougarou tale is
awesome.

Rita Monette, Writer

Thanks ladies. I'd heard the tale all my life. That’s why my character goes in the swamp
and not me!

Vonnie

Rita, terrific! I'd heard of the loup-garou (even Downunder, yep) but I didn't know the
sort of resurrection story behind it.

Eleni Konstantine

Had heard the name before but not exactly what it or the tale is. Thanks for another
great Louisiana tale, Rita.

Alfredo Tamez

I just came back from a weekend at Caddo Lake State Park in Texas. The lake
straddles both Texas and Louisiana. Our boat guide informed us that last Halloween
they started a haunted lake tour, hugely popular, but lasted only one night. The usual
axe murderers, mummies, werewolves and other creatures would jump out and scare
the guests. Lasted only one night when all the employees quit en masse because they’d
hear splahing behind them in the water and were scared s...tless since the lake is
spooky even in daylight. The quitting employees were convinced it was the Caddo Lake
version of Rougarou, half man/half gator. Therefore, no loup-garou in them waters, but
gator-garou!

Rita Monette, Writer

You just never know what might be living in those swamps. ..or lakes.

W. Pa. police searching for alligator

http://www.phillv.com/phillv/news/2014Q823 ap ad2dbal a63e040c7937932eaea26a0a9.html?c=r

The Associated Press

Posted: Saturday, August 23, 2014, 10:06 AM

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A police department near Pittsburgh has issued an alligator alert.

Indiana Township police issued the be-on-the-lookout alert for the gator on Friday. Sgt. Tim Michael says it was
spotted twice this month in the Rural Ridge neighborhood, most recently on Tuesday in a resident's back yard.
The tow r nship is about 1 0 miles outside of downtown Pittsburgh.

Michael says the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium has offered to take the alligator, but police have to catch it first.
Police aren't sure of its size, but one estimate was three feet.

Residents are being urged to call 9 1 1 if they see the creature.

The great balloon riot of 1864

Magazine Monitor Magazine Monitor A collection of cultural artefacts 00:35 UK time, Saturday, 09 August
2014 http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-28674654

Victorian balloon Just for historical accuracy, this is not a hot air balloon - hydrogen was initially used in
balloons

Europe's largest balloon festival is staged this weekend in Bristol. We trust there’ll be no repeat of the scenes in
Leicester in 1864. Author Jeremy Claytellsthe little-known tale ofBritain's balloon riot.

The distinguished gentleman ran for his life - his clothes ripped, his hair dishevelled, a furious mob hot on his
heels, baying for blood.

Behind him lay the ripped-up, burning remnants of his livelihood. What with one thing and another, his balloon
display hadn't gone quite as well as he'd expected.

It had all started so promisingly, too. A crowd of about 50,000 people had gathered on the racecourse in Leicester
that summer's day in 1864 to see the feted aeronaut take to the skies.

Henry Coxwell wasn't just an aviation pioneer, he was something of a celebrity too. Two years earlier,
accompanied by the meteorological scientist Dr James Glaisher, he'd soared up to the stratosphere, curious as to
what might happen next.

What actually happened next was Dr Glaisher went temporarily blind, then passed out. Coxwell, who had lost all
sensation in his gloveless hands, could well have followed suit, had he not saved them both by opening the
valve-cord with his teeth.

James Glaisher and English aviator Henry Tracey Coxwell in the basket of a hot air balloon James Glaisher and
Henry Tracey Coxwell in the basket of a gas balloon in 1 862

Such shivering dash and derring-do made him a hero, so when he agreed to appear with his fancy new balloon
Britannia at the Order of Forester's fete in Leicester, admirers arrived from as far and wide to see him soar into
the skies.

But as the punters gathered, and Coxwell made his pre-flight preparations, there was trouble afoot.

"Early in the afternoon, a gentleman, reported to be a professional man, gave it out that the balloon then present
was not my largest and newest balloon but a small one," Coxwell would later write to the Times.

"This was a cruel libel,” he added, but the rumour spread all the same. "This Coxwell,” they muttered, darkly,
"he's taking us for mugs."

As the mood soured, the masses pressed in. With barely any police on duty to control the huge throng, "a perfect
sea of clamouring spectators" broke into his enclosure, "everybody demanding an instantaneous ascent".

If he expected better behaviour from the well-to-do Leicester folk who were to accompany him into the air, he
was sorely disappointed.

"Those who had paid their money and obtained tickets pounced into the basket in such a rude and
unceremonious manner that all operations were stopped and the passengers themselves were preventing their
own departure," wrote Coxwell.

"One person seated in my car was a disgrace to his town, as by his gestures and foul language he excited the mob
and induced the belief that there existed on my part a disinclination to ascend.

"The pressure of the mob was now so great that my car was damaged, the network broken in several places
owing to persons hanging on to the lower meshes, and a bottle was thrown into the balloon."

Enough was enough, thought Coxwell. He appealed to the nobler instincts of the crowd and warned that unless
they eased back, he would be forced to let out the gas.

In return, they shouted abuse. "I forthwith executed my threat," he said.

"To the astonishment of everyone," reported the Leicester Chronicle, "the canvas which a few moments before
appeared, every inch of it, to be well filled with gas, began to hang loose, and flapped in the wind so much it was
soon apparent that the gas was fast escaping.

"All doubt on this point was soon dispelled, more especially in regard to those people immediately surrounding
it (for the stench became intolerable) and every moment the size of the balloon became less and less; the wind
filling its loose folds, and causing it to pitch and toss about considerably, and threatening every moment to fall
on the heads of those who stood near it.

"Finally, the whole structure fell into a shapeless mass on the ground."

And that's when it really kicked off.

"The crowd who stood around immediately seized upon the net-work and material of the balloon and tore it into
a hundred shreds," said the paper. "The car was next - set fire to and burnt to ashes."

Balloon riot

Insp Haynes and Sgt Chapman, stalwarts of the Leicester force, battled manfully with the rabble, but they were
horribly outnumbered.

"It was brave but hard work,” Coxwell wrote, "for nothing short of the destruction of my balloon, and indeed an
attempt on my own life, appeared a sufficient sacrifice.

"While the work of demolition was proceeding, Sergeant Chapman led me away amid yelling and derision. My
clothes were soon torn and then the cry was raised, 'Rip him up,' 'knock him on the head', 'finish him'."

Dashing for safety, Coxwell found sanctuary in the nearby home on the Town Clerk. Back on the racecourse, a
man who had been taken for the aviator was attacked, and his coat pulled to bits. The more entrepreneurially-

minded, meanwhile, began selling remaining pieces of the balloon as souvenirs.

"I never witnessed such barbarous ignorance, baseness and injustice in my life," a letter-writer complained to the
Chronicle after returning from the ruckus. "I feared Mr Coxwell would be killed. I was knocked down thrice
myself simply for endeavouring to defend him."

The correspondent added a PS: "They have burnt the balloon and are parading its remains through the town,
having just passed my window."

Condemnation of the brouhaha swiftly followed. A report of The London Review of Politics, Society, Literature,
Art and Science said: "No man who commits himself to the science of ballooning can tell where or amongst
what people it will carry him, as Mr Coxwell has just discovered.

"It set him down on Monday amongst a horde of savages as fierce and untamed as South Sea Islanders and
differing very little from them except in their habitat, which was at Leicester.

"It is humiliating to think that after all the civilising influences which have been exerted upon them, so much of
the savage should still linger in the blood of our working classes."

In Leicester, the blame for the uproar was put on out-of-towners. Excursionists. From Nottingham, perhaps. But
to no avail. The town was stigmatised.

And so, a short-lived nickname was born. People from Leicester are known as Leicestrians. For reasons that
needn't trouble us here, you might also hear them called Chisits. But for a while in 1 864, thanks to Punch
magazine, they had a new title - Balloonatics.

The riot that forever changed a neighborhood, and Philadelphia

Jeff Gammage, Inquirer Staff Writer | Last updated: Sunday, August 24, 2014, 1:09 AM | Posted: Saturday,
August 23, 2014, 9:04 PM

http://www.philly.com/phillv/news/breaking/20140824_Fiftv_vears_ago_in_North_Philadelphia when_a_rumo

r ignited a massive riot.html

It started over nothing - a police call about a maroon Buick blocking an intersection in North Philadelphia.

Frustrated drivers leaned on their horns as traffic backed up around 22d Street and Columbia Avenue.

When motorcycle officer Robert Wells arrived, he found Rush Bradford standing in the street, arguing through
the driver's side window with his wife, Odessa Bradford.

She pressed one foot on the gas and the other on the brake, making the engine roar.

More coverage

Map: Riot and demographic changes in N. Phil ly

"Lady," the cop told her, "let the man park this car on the side.”

She responded, "He ain't going to move a damn thing."

Wells told her to get out. She refused. He pulled her from the car. She punched and kicked him. He handcuffed
her.

A police wagon pulled up, and Officer John Hoff held the door as Wells put Bradford, still cursing and shouting,
into the back.

People began yelling at the cops: Why were they mistreating a black woman? A man rushed up and slugged Hoff
in the head, knocking him down.

A brick flew. Then a bottle.

Wells radioed "assist officer," a priority call that means an officer's life is in danger. More cops arrived, and
rocks and debris rained from the rooftops.

It was 9:35 p.m. on a summer Friday, Aug. 28, 1 964, and the Columbia Avenue riot had begun - an outbreak of
violence and destruction that forever changed a neighborhood and a city.

When the chaos ended, three days later, hardly a store in the business district had its windows intact. And a lot
more than glass had been broken.

For a large swath of North Philadelphia, the riot was what scientists call an extinction event.

Already teetering because of blight, government indifference, and massive white flight, the riot pushed the area
over the edge.

Businesses fled. Property values sank. Even cabs stopped coming.

Today, 50 years later, the riot zone is at once desolate and prosperous, home to ruined storefronts and
comfortable pubs, to abandoned buildings and new, lower-income housing.

Walk west from Broad Street on what is now Cecil B. Moore Avenue - renamed in 1987 to honor the civil-rights

leader - and the street pulses: the shopping, business, and theater complex of Avenue North, a Temple University
bookstore, university housing, Lee's Foodway, the Draught Horse Pub.

A torrent of new and renovated apartments has been driven by the demands of 13,000 students living on or near
campus.

Some applaud the vibrancy. Others say catering to students is no way to rebuild a neighborhood.

Development is edging west, and it's easy to think it will eventually reach 22d and Columbia, the riot's epicenter.
A new health center is being built on the southeast corner.

But the area has been blasted by population loss - a 65 percent decline between 1950 and 2010. Poverty is
pervasive.

"There's hope, even though it's not what I would have hoped for," said Germaine Ingram, the acclaimed dancer,
whose parents ran a real estate firm at Columbia and Bouvier. "The area is racially diverse now, what with so
many Temple students living in the area. But I don't see much that suggests a sense of community there -
certainly not for black people."

Today, many see the riot's angry echo in Ferguson, Mo., where hundreds of protesters have fought police over
the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager.

"The same thing that happened years ago is happening today," said veteran Philadelphia civil-rights activist
Karen Asper-Jordan. "You have police brutality, you have injustice. . . . Black children are not getting the
support they need, and you wonder why people are so angry?"

On that long-ago Friday, the riot spread east to Broad, onto Ridge Avenue, and west to Fairmount Park. Random
incidents occurred across North Philadelphia.

More than 600 businesses across 300 square blocks were damaged or looted, at a cost estimated at $4.1 million -
worth $35.1 million today. About 340 people were injured, including 100 police officers. One person was killed:
Robert Green, 21, shot by police who said he came at them with a knife.

At one point, the city deployed 1,800 officers - many of whom slipped off their badges to avoid identification.

"They whipped everything that was running - women, babies," said Bill James, 73, a longtime neighborhood
resident.

"You would have thought it was down South,” added Charles Gadson Jr., 63. "There were hard feelings toward
the police."

Within minutes of Officer Wells' emergency call, about two dozen cops arrived at 22d and Columbia. It seemed
like the incident was over.

But a block away, a man began shouting that white cops had beaten a pregnant black woman to death. The rumor
spread.

By 1 1 p.m., the streets were filled with milling crowds and anxious cops. A patrol car turned onto Columbia at
20th - met by a barrage of stones.

The crowds began smashing store windows, carrying off dresses, groceries, cigarettes, and shoes. Some people
used shopping carts to ferry their haul. Fires burned in cars.

Most avenue businesses were run by white, Jewish owners, the customers almost all black. Some black
merchants managed to rush to the scene and save their shops by placing signs that said, "This is a Negro store."
A Chinese restaurant owner posted, "We are colored too."

Police established a command post. But instead of pummeling the rioters, Police Commissioner Howard Leary
held back, ordering officers to contain the violence and calling on black leaders to help end the disturbance.

That infuriated Deputy Commissioner Frank Rizzo, who wanted to stop the riot with a full frontal assault - and
later called Leary a "gutless bastard."

WDAS disc jockey Georgie Woods drove through the neighborhood, his car loudspeaker blaring, "Please get off
the streets. If you have problems, this is no way to solve them."

He was ignored.

A crowd jeered and booed Cecil B. Moore, president of the local NAACP, when he tried to stop looting at 23d
and Ridge. People paid no attention to Stanley Branche, of Freedom Now, who stood on a box and pleaded,
"Please go home!"

"The accident ward of Philadelphia General Hospital looked like a battlefield first-aid station," wrote the
Bulletin.

Wounded cops limped in. Most had been struck by bricks or bottles. One was hit with a baseball bat, another
smacked with a store mannequin.

Looting continued into daylight, destroying what hours earlier had been North Philadelphia's shopping strip.

People boasted they could walk in the rain from Broad to 27th and never get wet - so plentiful were the awnings
of clothing shops, restaurants, and dry cleaners, among five hardware stores and a movie theater, the Liberty.

At noon Saturday, Mayor James Tate ordered a public curfew. Comedian Dick Gregory arrived, persuading a
crowd of 1 ,000 at Ridge and Columbia to disperse.

As afternoon edged toward evening, police said they got new orders: Stop the looting. Clear the corners. Clubs
are trump - an expression that meant, "Use your nightsticks."

In the darkness, gunshots rang out. Police were told to return fire if fired upon.

Ordered into the fray was Michael Chitwood, a 20-year-old rookie cop, four months out of the academy, not yet
old enough to vote or drink. A cinder block crashed onto the hood of his patrol car.

People seemed to have gone crazy.

"The first night was overwhelming and scary, because I had no idea what was going on," said Chitwood, now
superintendent of the Upper Darby Police Department. "Was I going to get home [alive] that night? The thing
that amazed me was how people were destroying their own neighborhood."

What caused the riot?

Fifty years later, some blame racist white cops. But the first officer on the scene, Wells, was black.

Some blame the discomfort of a long, hot summer. But records show the heat of 1964 was middling. And on the
day the riot exploded, the high was a relatively mild 82 degrees.

Some say the chance of violence grew as racial and economic pressures built to bursting, largely over
discrimination, jobs, and housing.

"It's very easy to be frustrated among the 'haves' when you 'don't have,' ” said Johnny Gossett, 72, interim
president of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, a fixture on the avenue since the 1940s. "We could
call it a riot, but I would call it a night of frustration."

John F. Kennedy was dead, shot down in Dallas. In Birmingham, police had turned dogs and fire hoses on
protesters, and at the Sixteen Street Baptist Church, a bomb killed four girls.

"The streets are going to run with blood," Malcolm X warned in January 1 964. "Whole sections of cities will be
bright with flame. Black people are going to explode."

Freedom Summer turned violent in Mississippi, as earnest voter- registration workers were beaten and the Klan
murdered James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner.

"It seemed like the world was turning upside down," said Michael Needle, a Philadelphia lawyer whose father
ran the Needle & Boonin pharmacy at 22d and Columbia.

In August, the Democrats met in seedy Atlantic City to nominate President Lyndon B. Johnson, who feared
Bobby Kennedy might steal the prize in place of his martyred brother. Three days after the Democrats left town,
the Beatles shook the walls of Convention Hall

But violence was as much in the air as music.

Between mid-July and Labor Day, riots erupted in nine American cities. The disturbance here, though ruining,
was mild compared to the bigger, deadlier riots that within four years would level whole blocks in Watts, Detroit,
and Newark.

"This is a story that echoes across the nation," said Randall Miller, a historian at St. Joseph's University. "There
were so many expectations - there's going to be a federal war on poverty, movement on civil rights, education.
But in this place, those expectations were false expectations."

LTnemployment among black Philadelphians was twice the city average. North Philadelphia had fewer libraries,
health centers, and playgrounds - but more taverns - than other parts of the city. Inspectors judged half of the
homes in the area as "substandard" for hazards that included cracked sewage pipes, exposed wiring, and broken
toilets.

On Columbia Avenue, store owners were nervous, trying to hold on.

Even before the violence, the better-off were fleeing the area. From 1 950 to 1 960, the white population fell 81
percent, 70,783 to 13,194. The black population surged 50 percent, from 94,609 to 142,396.

When the riot came, many merchants saw it as an anti-Semitic assault - they weren't wanted. Within 25 years,
the number of businesses dropped from 1 58 to 57.

Almost anyone who could afford to leave would go - including nearly two-thirds of blacks.

"The neighborhood isn't a neighborhood now," Gossett said. "It's a campus. It's a Temple campus."

Kenneth Scott drove west on the avenue last week, pointing out wrecked buildings that, as stores, once gave life
to the street. He nodded toward something else, too:

New houses, lots of them, many with garages and front lawns as green as any in a leafy suburb, built for low-
and moderate-income residents.

The Beech Cos., of which he's president, strives to revive a neighborhood that many gave up for dead. The firm
developed 1 ,200 housing units and plans to start on 1 ,000 more within two years.

"The prospects," he said, "are great."

That doesn't mean easy. It's taken Beech 25 years to get this far. Change is slow and obstacles are many.
Attracting a supermarket and bank branch was arduous.

Often, what people know about the area isn't good: That rioting wrecked the place. That Harrison "Marty"
Graham lived there, evicted from his home in 1987 because of the stench - which turned out to come from the
bodies of seven dead women.

Hollywood Shoes, its entrance an antique whirl of tile and glass, is one of the last Jewish-owned stores on the
avenue.

"Before the riots there was hustle-bustle, a lot of life," said Jeffrey Lauren, who runs the store founded by his
grandparents. "Now there's no life."

Scott believes that will change - and sooner than later. That the neighborhood has assets beyond land, such as the
Wagner Free Institute of Science, founded in 1855.

The goal is to attract families to settle. Businesses will follow. That it's a long-term endeavor shouldn't surprise
anyone.

"It didn't fall apart overnight," Scott said. "And it doesn't come back overnight."

By Sunday morning, there was so much glass on Columbia Avenue that it crunched underfoot.

Scattered looting continued during the day as the riot burned itself out.

By then, pharmacist Larry Needle was in Atlantic City, to take his son to the Beatles concert. He had spent
Friday night inside Needle & Boonin, protecting the store.

"I was sure they wouldn't touch it if I was there," son Michael, 60, recalled his father saying.

He was right, though the pharmacy survived for another reason, too. It had three phones - a veritable nerve
center in the age before cellphones. Cops constantly went in to make calls, their presence dissuading looters.

The pharmacy stayed for decades after the riot. Larry Needle sold the business in 1997 and died four years later.

Today at the riot's Ground Zero is a rotting, empty building.

"It's so wrecked, it can't give you any memories," Michael Needle said. "One of these days I'm going to learn
that it's been demolished."

Staff writer John Duchneskie contributed to this article. Some information came from the Temple University
Special Collections Research Center.

jgammage@phillynews.com 215-854-4906 @JeffGammage

Tampering With The Chariot

October 31, 2010 historicmysteries.com

Although the recent CT scan data pertaining to the death of Pharaoh Tutankhamun seem to
put to rest the theory that he was murdered, this may not be the end of the story.

Both Dr Bob Brier and I along with other students of ancient Egypt believe that there are
aspects of the final days of the life of the young king that may still need further exploration. In
my review of the CT scan information, I attempted to make a case for an accidental death as
opposed to the result of military action

There has come down to us today graphic depiction of T utankhamun’s exploits with the
Egyptian chariot. He is seen with an indication of his hunting exploits and it would not be
unreasonable to suggest that a young man of 19 would have engaged in chariot racing.

We are fortunate in the fact that five of his chariots were found in his tomb. One of them has
been exhibited in America, Dr. Zahi Hawass tells us that some of the chariots has indication
of a great deal of use based on the condition of the wear on the tires. The point being that the
young king did in fact use the chariots frequently.

The accidental death theory is disputed by other medical scientists putting forth the theory
that death was caused by complications from malaria and Kohler’s disease, but their theory
still leaves much in the way of science to be desired. It can not be taken as seriously as does
the majority of evidence pertaining to the leg injury.

Lets turn our attention for a moment to the chariots found in the tomb and in chariot
construction in Egypt at the time of Tutankhamun.

It was described as the Formula One Car of its day. Alberto Rovetta, professor in robotics
engineering at Polytechnic of Milan says “These chariots appear to be the first mechanical
system which combines the use of kinetics, dynamics and lubrication principles. The wheels
feature a real tire, made of a flexible wood rim which adapts to soil irregularities. Moreover,
the six-spoke wheels are made from elastic wood. This absorbs uniformly the loads
transmitted by soil irregularities, so that the vibrations are damped by the wheel itself like the
intelligent suspensions in modern cars.” It appears that every contingency with regard to
functionality and indeed safety was well and thoroughly taken into consideration.

Rovetta goes on to say that the result is a remarkable level of softness and comfort. Even at
speeds of about 25 miles per hour on Egypt’s irregular soil, King Tut’s chariots were efficient
and pleasant to ride. It was said to surpass all monumental structure of the pharaoh’s in
engineering sophistication.

Although one writer said that there is no evidence of chariot racing at the time, common
sense will not support this belief. The Egyptians were strong on competition. If you have s
group of 19 year olds riding chariots, there are going to be races. The chariot builders of the
day would certainly encourage it.

And so we find a great deal of evidence supporting the superiority of the Egyptian chariot at
this time in Egyptian history. The chances of anything breaking down or failing to function
properly would be remote. Certainly there would have been those assigned to keeping the
chariots in good working order. We are, however being told that the king had an accident of
sufficient nature to throw him off at a speed of 25 plus miles an hour sufficient to produce a
fatal injury.

! i V

Let’s consider the question of sabotage. Who
would want him out of the way and why? Again,
referring to the work of Dr. Brier, there was one
primary character at this time who would well and
! truly profit from the death or a seriously
1 incapacitated pharaoh.

I Although there could have been others who would
profit from the death of T utankhamun, Ay was the
one who would profit the most. He would inherit
both the crown as well as the young wife of the
1 pharaoh. He had been standing in the wings for
the totality of his life. As the primary advisor to the
young king he had virtually total control. If Ay ever wanted to be pharaoh, he had to act soon
as he was getting older every day. There has to be a lot of supposition at this juncture, but
reason to believe that it is very possible that he needed to hatch a plan to get rid of
Tutankhamun.

King Tut's chariot

Now, back to the chariot. If one wanted to sabotage the chariot, in spit of the marvelous
engineering features, it would be relatively easy to do. The wheel is attached to the axel by
inserting the pointed end of the axel into the very strong center of the wheel. It is then held in
place by a pin constructed of hard wood or metal. When the pin is removed, the wheel will
easily come off. If the pin broke during the operation of the chariot, then the wheel would
come off very quickly causing an accident. Would the death of the rider be a certainty?
Perhaps not, but this would be as good way as any to cause what could be a fatal accident. If
this scenario could conceivably be correct, then this would be step one in a nefarious plan.
The king was injured and needed the best medical care available. During the eighteenth
dynasty, medical practice was very advanced and sophisticated. Injuries of the type
experienced were not at all uncommon at the time and the medical science of the day would
been able to successfully treat this type of an injury.

What would happen if the doctors failed to act properly in a medical sense? Then it is highly
likely that the patient would die. Who could be responsible for any or all of this? There was
only one person and that was Ay. He had the power to tamper with the chariot and to control
the medical treatment. The stakes were high, perhaps the highest ever seen in the entire
history of Egypt.

There are other perhaps little things, but important none the less, The final resting place of
Tut Ankh Amun was a small tomb built for the use of Ay. The king was dead, what will we do

about a tomb. “ No problem" says Ay. “we can use mine, I won’t be needing it after all”. Some
foresight must have been used to anticipate these events. The rapid marriage to the young
widow and the intrigue associated with her contact with the Hittite king and the foul play
associated with the dispatched young Hittite prince, must have been undertaken at the
highest levels in Egypt and by this is meant the deviousness of both Ay and Horemheb who
would be that much closer to the thrown with the death of Tut Ankh Amun.

A simple chariot accident. - I don’t think so. Failure to properly treat a non fatal leg wound -
I don’t think so. There is just too much evidence pointing to the involvement of Ay in the death
of Pharaoh Tut Ankh Amen.

Poison the king’s food? Too easy to trace. A chariot accident would be simple to set in motion
and difficult to trace with any degree of certainty. Perhaps a long shot, perhaps not. It was
tried and it worked. The king was dead and Ay was now pharaoh. He died after only a few
years and Horemheb became pharaoh setting in motion the decline of the great Egyptian
empire.

Alfred Jones

Alfred Jones has a Ph.D in psychology, advance studies in law and education. He is an
Egyptian scholar having taught in the UK, USA and China. He is a former consultant to the
San Jose California Egyptian Museum. Author of 7 books and over 20 articles for
professional journals.

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Ten Mysterious Places on Google Earth - Historic
Mysteries

June 21, 2010 historicmysteries.com

By now, most of you have either downloaded or are at least aware of Google Earth. The
program, which utilizes satellite imagery and aerial photographs to map the earth in amazing
detail, can be used for a variety of reasons. Some people use it to locate areas they have
lived or traveled, while others use it to visit remote places of the planet that one would not
otherwise be able to see. I belong to this group, as I am sure many others are as well.
Google Earth is the perfect tool to explore and discover the physical remains of ancient
cultures or unexplained anomalies found throughout this wonderful world. Believe it or not,
amazing discoveries have been found using this program.

In this article I have identified ten mysterious places on Google Earth (in no particular order)
that I have found quite fascinating. In addition to the photographs imaged through Google
Earth, I have also provided a brief description of the area and its actual coordinates so you
can visit these strange and fascinating places yourself through Google Earth. Please click
these photos to see them in larger size.

10. The Badlands Guardian. Coordinates: 50°
0’36.30"N, 110° 6’46.82"W. The Badlands
Guardian was one of those mysterious places that
was first discovered by Lynn Hickox utilizing the
Google Earth program. Although this area is a
completely natural geological feature in southwest
Alberta, Canada, one cannot help but notice the
striking resemblance of a human head wearing his
full native American headdress. Some have also
claimed that the figure appears to be wearing
earphones, which is nothing more than a road
leading to an oil well. Even though this area is a
natural formation, it is amazingly ironic to see
these arid badlands formations resemble the fully
detailed shape of the very same indigenous people that lived in these lands.

The Badlands Guardian

9. Egyptian Ruins. Coordinates: 29°327.65"N, 30 o 407.88"E. It doesn’t take long to
discover an interesting find when using Google Earth to explore the shifting sands of Egypt.
As you can see from this attached image, the angles and straight lines of what appears to be
a fortification wall protecting smaller similar structures in the interior. If you use Google Earth
to explore the surrounding area, you can see additional suspected man made ruins buried in
the desert sand. I am not sure if the ruins captioned in this photograph have been thoroughly
explored, but experts do state only a fraction of ancient Egypt has been discovered. Every
year new tombs, structures and even pyramids are rediscovered in this ancient land.

8. Machu Picchu. Coordinates: 13° 9’49.69"S, 72°32’42.65"W. Located on a mountain
ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, Machu Picchu is considered one of the most

Egyptian Ruins

Machu Picchu

mystical sites on our planet. Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site built around 1400
AD. The area only thrived for 100 years and the place was abandoned following the Spanish
conquest of the Inca empire in Peru. Theories of its purpose range from it being the
birthplace of the Incan “Virgins of the Suns ”, an estate of the Incan emperor Pachacuti, a
prison for the select few who commit extremely heinous crimes or as a settlement to control
the economy of the conquered lands. For more information on Machu Picchu, please see our
article here.

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Ten Mysterious Places on Google Earth - Historic
Mysteries

June 21, 2010 historicmysteries.com

The Nazca Hummingbird

drawing were created to help bring rain,
see our article here.

7. The Nazca Hummingbird. Coordinates:
14°4T32.27"S, 75° 8’56.91 ,r W. The Nazca
Hummingbird is only one of many designs and
strange “air strips” sketched across the Nazca
desert of Peru. These unusual man made features
were first discovered in the 1930s by passengers on
aircraft flying over this vast desert on the way to
other destinations. The Nazca lines were created
by brushing the reddish pebbles from the desert
floor, which revealed the lighter colored sand
underneath. Due to the lack of rainfall and wind
erosion, these lines and drawing have been
preserved for centuries. Their purpose remains
uncertain, although one theory states the lines and
For more information on the Nazca Lines, please

6. Chichen Itza. Coordinates: 20°40’58.64"N, 88°34’5.50 , 'W. Chichen Itza is an

Chl archaeological site built by the Mayan civilization located in the Yucatan peninsula of

j(ZQ

Mexico. The translation of its name literally means “at the mouth of the well of the Itza”. It
was originally built around 600 AD and records indicate it fell around 1000 AD. Although
Chichen Itza was no longer a flourishing city by the time the Spanish Conquistadors arrived,
the Mayans managed to initially push back the Spanish invaders until it was eventually
conquered. The Spanish used the site as a cattle ranch in 1588 following the Mayan defeat.
Chichen Itza had once been major economic power in the Mayan lowlands and
archaeological work has recovered many fine examples of Mayan relics.

The Cerne Abbas Giant

5. Cerne Abbas Giant. Coordinates:

50°48’49.00"N, 2°28’28.99"W. The Cerne Abbas
Giant, also known as the “Rude Man” or the “Rude
Giant” is a figure that stands 180 ft long and 167 ft
wide. It is carved in the hillside of Cerne Abbas, just
north of Dorchester, England. It’s origin and date is
unknown, although there are no records of this
carved giant prior to the late 1 7th century. It’s
purpose is also unknown, although most scholars
tend to agree it is either a symbol of fertility or the
representation of the Roman Heracles. Cerne
Abbas folklore claim the figure is the actual outline of
a real giant that came from Denmark and was
soundly defeated by the local villagers as he slept on

the hill. Although we may never know the real purpose of this carving on the hill, it is an
important part of the local culture and rechalked every 25 years to preserve its features.

4. Strange Carved Lines in China. Coordinates:
40°27’28.56"N, 93°23’34.42"E. There isn’t much
information available on these strange, yet beautiful
mosaic lines carved in the desert of the Gansu Sheng
province in China. Some records indicate they were
created in 2004, but nothing that seems official. Of note
is that these lines are somewhat near the Mogao
Caves, which is a World Heritage Site. The lines span
a very huge distance and yet still retain their linear
proportions despite the curvature of the rough terrain.
Perhaps this is a military site to test kill probabilities of
Chinese missile systems. If utilizing Google Earth to
view this feature, you will notice many questions from
fellow Googlers wondering what this feature is and its

intended purpose.

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Ten Mysterious Places on Google Earth - Historic
Mysteries

June 21, 2010 historicmysteries.com

3. Geoglyphs at Tiliviche. Coordinates:
19°32’56.62"S, 69°58’4.21 "W. Chile’s Atacama
Desert holds many examples of ancient Incan
geoglyphs. The Geoglyphs at Tiliviche is a fine
example of a herd of llamas being moved by a thin
person and a fat person. The llamas are facing
'the ocean and may have been carved into the
earth for the purpose of being a landmark for
llama caravans coming down the mountain. The
llamas were as important to transportation for the
ancient Incans as the camel was in the Egyptian
desert. These geoglyphs may be over 2,000 years old and usually found near trading routes.

Geoglyphs at Tiliviche

2. Geoglyphs of Chiza. Coordinates:
19°12’12.51 "S, 70° 0’29.37"W. Another example
of ancient Incan geoplyphs in the Atacama desert
of Chile is the geoglyphs of Chiza. These
geoglyphs are not too far away from the ones
located at Tiliviche. These designs are created by
arranging large dark stones on the lighter sand.
These particular glyphs represent images of
people, birds and other animals. What is
remarkable about these Incan glyphs as opposed
Geogiyphs of civza to the Nazca lines is that they are usually placed

on hill sides and visible to people not only in the air, but also on land. This particular feature
has a nearby road, and as you can see by the photo, someone has taken the opportunity to
stop their vehicle and admire these amazing designs in such a dry desert.

1. Atacama Giant. Coordinates: 19°56’56.88"S,
69°38’1.87’W. Our last example of mysterious
places found on Google Earth is also located in
the Atacama desert of Chile. The Atacama Giant
is the largest prehistoric anthropomorphic figure in
the world and measures 282 ft long. Records
indicate it was built around 1000 to 1400 CE.
Although some skeptics and “ancient aliens”
believers think this is a representation of alien
visitors who have visited the Incans, the Atacama
Giant’s unusual features actually have a specific
purpose. Not only does this true giant represent
the diety of the local people, but the various points around his head could tell the local

The Atacama Giant

inhabitants various calendar events such as the day and season and when to plant certain
crops. This was accomplished by how the moon would set in reference to these points.

Of course, there are many other mysterious places that can be visited in the comfort of your
own home using Google Earth. Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza and Nan Madol come to
mind immediately. As satellite imagery improves and our ability to peer into every corner of
our ancient planet becomes more routine, many other strange and fascinating discoveries will
surely emerge.

Jim Heddlesten

Jim was born and raised in Naples, Italy. He created this website in December 2009 because
of his fondness for historical mysteries. Since creating the website, Historic Mysteries has
grown incredibly fast and almost 3,000 people visit this site daily. Thank you for stopping by
and please bookmark this site.

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Dancing at the Werewolf Ball: The Loup Garou/Rougarou

blogspot.com

Louisiana has more than its fair share of creepy places and legends. The Myrtles Plantation
in St. Francisville is billed as "One of America's Most Haunted Homes," and in the cemeteries
of New Orleans, you can still go and see the grave of Marie Lavau, the famous "Voodooo
Queen." There are legends of Jean Lafitte's treasure, guarded by ghostly pirates. If you want
to scare yourself, Louisiana is a good place to do it. And if you want to learn more about our
state's scary traditions, the library is a good place to do that.

One of the most distinctive Louisiana legends is the loup garou or rougarou, a werewolf-like
creature said to inhabit the swamps. For generations, Cajun parents told their children to
behave, or the loup garou would come get them. But lots of the grownups believed it
themselves; looking over their shoulder nervously while walking home on dark nights.

Where did this legend come from? For Cajuns, it can be traced to Nova Scotia, and then to
France. Stories about werewolves actually have a long history throughout Europe. One of the
oldest is a Greek legend in which Zeus turns a man named Lycaon into a wolf. The name
"Lycaon" comes from the Greek word lykos, or wolf, and Lycanthropy is the fancy name for
werewolfism. The were in werewolf comes from an Old English word meaning "man."

In the old European legends, people didn't usually become werewolves after being bitten by
another werewolf. Some were thought to be were transformed against their will by sorcerers.
These reluctant werewolves were filled with regret when they woke up and remembered the
savage things they had done the night before. Sometimes the sorcerers turned themselves
into wolves using spells and charms, and then terrorized the countryside at night.

One method of becoming a werewolf was to wear a cloak or belt made of wolf skin. This story
may have some basis in fact. Some vikings and other marauders really did wear the skins of
fierce animals, not just to stay warm, but also because they believed they could absorb the
animal's ferocity. The crazed viking warriors called berserkers (from whom we get the word
"berserk") wore bear skins (the word actually means "bear shirt"). Other vikings wore wolf
skins, for similar reasons. During the Middle Ages, European forests were home to many
wolves, but they were also home to bands of dangerous outlaws. Some were said to wear
animal skins, and groups of them sometimes even howled like wolves to terrify their victims.
Lone killers may have also given rise to werewolf legends. The psychologist Stephen Pinker
points out that serial killers like Jack the Ripper have existed throughout history. A few
monsters certainly exist, whether you believe in the supernatural or not.

Of course, at the time the werewolf legends originated, most people didn't consider them
legends. They believed in werewolves, along with witches, fairies, and a whole host of other
supernatural creatures. Fear of werewolves reached its peak during the Inquisition. As many
as 30,000 suspected werewolves were executed in Europe between the 1520's and the
1630's, sometimes by mobs, and often by the authorities. During this time werewolves, like
witches, were usually thought to be in league with the devil.

In France, the werewolf was known
as loup garou. Loup means wolf (the
scientific name for wolves is Canis
lupus), while garou may actually
come from an older phrase that
meant "werewolf." If this is true, than
loup garou actually means "wolf
werewolf'. Some have suggested
that garou may come from gardez-
vous, which means "Be careful!"

This is an appealing theory, but alas,
it probably isn't true.

In the French tradition, people became loup garous after missing too many masses or
confessions, skipping Lent for seven years in a row, or being cursed by a witch. French loup
garous were said to be like vampires, in that they could turn others into loup garous by biting
them or sucking their blood. In both France and Louisiana, people with long nails, red eyes,
or a single eyebrow were suspected of being loup garous.

In Louisiana, the loup garou is sometimes called a rougarou, or roux-ga-roux (this is what
they are usually called in Terrebonne Parish). Louisiana loup garous have some especially
interesting habits. They are said to ride enormous bats, for one thing, and they gather along
Bayou Goula and--in true Louisiana style--have a rowdy werewolf ball. According to the book
Gumbo Ya-Ya: A Collection of Louisiana Folk Tales, "Loup-garous have bats as big as
airplanes to carry them where they want to go. They make these bats drop them down the
chimney, and they stand by your bed and say 'I got you now, me!' Then they bit you and suck
your blood and that makes you a loup-garou, and soon you find yourself dancing at their balls
at Bayou Goula and carrying on just as they do. You're a lost soul." Of course, it could be
worse... you may be a werewolf, but you still get to go to parties.

While bullets (even silver ones) are useless, loup garou can easily be scared away by frogs.
This is odd, since they live in swamps full of frogs. They must be nervous monsters. They
also seem to be a little bit obsessive. Some say a screen door will stop a loup garou, because
it will will stop to try to count all the holes. Even hanging a colander on the outside of a door
can stop them, because they will count the holes in that. (Other Louisiana monsters can be
stopped in the same way. The cauchemar, a witch who jumps on people's backs while they
are sleeping-and may ride them around the room or even down the stairs--is often said to be
obsessed with counting things.)

However, this is all secondhand knowledge for this librarian. I'm from Arkansas, so I never
heard stories of the loup garou growing up. The people who really know Louisiana legends
like the loup garou and the cauchemar are the ones who listened as children, wide-eyed, as
the grownups told scary stories... wondering if they were true or not. Did you grow up hearing
stories of the loup garou or other creatures of the night? If so, let us know in the comments!

Recommended Reading

The Better Angels of our Nature : Why Violence has Declined / Steven Pinker.

Contemporary Cauchemar: Experience, Belief, Prevention
The Gale Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained

Gumbo Ya-Ya : A Collection of Louisiana Folk Tales

He Creeps, He Crawls, He Conquers: The Rougarou--A Louisiana Folklore Legend

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The coming of the Christmas Visitors. . .
Folk legends concerning the attacks on Icelandic
farmhouses made by spirits at Christmas'

Terry Gunnell

To my mind, one of the most interesting aspects in the field of tolk
legends is the way in which migratory legends adapt to their
surroundings. The aim of the following article is to present a case
study into the background of one such legend and one ot the most
common motifs in earlier Icelandic legends, namely an investigation
into those accounts dealing with the man or woman who had to stay
‘home alone’ on Christmas night (or sometimes the night of New
Year’s Eve) when a group of ‘hidden people’ or elves broke into the
farm to hold their annual Christmas celebrations, involving dance, the
consumption of alcohol and other forms of lively entertainment. The
motif seem> to have ancient roots connected to the ancient beliefs of
the first Icelandic settlers that the island was already populated by
various forms of spirits, both positive and negative, which unofficially
■permitted’ people to take up residence on their territory (see
Stromback, 1970). It seems also that from the start people believed
that at least once a year, ai midwinter and sometimes around
midsummer, these spirits would reassert their power over their
territory by demanding offerings and or literally moving in with their
tenants for a few days, just as the old Norwegian kings used to do in
the Viking period (see for example Steinncs, 1955), Closely related to
this belief is another one about how the dead commonly revisit their
old dwelling places at these turning points in time The modem-day
Icelandic belief about visiting ‘Christmas Lads’ (jolasvemar, the
Icelandic form of Santa Claus) stems from the same roots (see further
Gunnell, 2001) But what exactly is the root of the legends concerning
the Christmas visits?

The earliest extant example of this motif in Iceland is probably
that found in the account of the so-called Froda wonders’ in the
thirteenth-century Eyrbyggja saga telling ot how, one Christmas, the
farm ai Frdda on BreidafjOrdur is taken over by various ghosts ot
people who have died on both sea and land (Eyrbyggja saga , 1935,

1 An Icelandic version of this jrncle was earlier published in Gunnell, 2002.

So what can be read out or all of this? First of all. it is clear that
these particular legends have 5 centre m western Norway, and that
both the legends and uie folk belief are essentially Scandinavian (they
have little to do with tiie later legend tradition of England. Scotland
and Ireland.), ir is also clear that the belief that people are in danger
from various evil spirits which were on the move around the time of
the winter solsnce or Christmas is ancient and deep-rooted As noted
above, there are examples of this belie! m Eyrbygg/a and Gretas wga
and tins seems to have become connected at a early point with legends
about the traveller with the polar bear first recorded in the German
poem from the thirteenth century. The oldest version of the legend of
me lone here (:n Beo'ivntj: in Gretns sago: in the German poem; in the
Icelandic legends about Grimur Skef ..ngsbani from the eighteenth
centuiy. and perhaps even the rare legends from northern Scotland
and Shetland • all underline that fact that initially the evil spirit <a
ghost or troll) was an individual, and commonly connected with water
-ike tne Grendet family these legends, like the account given in
3 & 0 'v a-:,', aiso underline that the hero defeats his enemy bv physical
Strength rather than with weapons or religion, and that he chases the
enemy away before his antagonist (who is commonly female)
eventually dies.

it is a: so clear to my mind that the more recent examples of the
Icelandic legend have come under influence from Norwegian legends
(or at least legends which have an origin there) and that the
Norwegian legends m question must have been known in Iceland.
Certainly the form of the Norwegian legends help to explain the
presence of the dog that appears in some Icelandic legends (indeed he
is sometimes half- forgotten, as for example, in JA III, pp. 175-1 76j; 3?
and the participation oi the 'old man who leads the invaders, and who

As noted above, a dog often appears in place of a polar bear in Norwegian
legends It the Icelanders :n later times had heard such a story of a nun
travelling and sleeping m the vicinity of a live polar bear, it is very unlikely
that they would have believed n. For a legend to survive, it is necessary for
people to believe that it could have taken piace. and Icelanders (unlike people
trem Western Norway or Germany where tame dancing bears were known in
the Middle Ages) knew from experience that it was especially difficult to
tame a polar bear. Admittedly they knew the account told in Audunat pun
resifirska. but that took place in ’ancient’ times when men were believed to
have been bigger las is emphasised by those Icelandic legends telling of
discoveries of large early bones) and carried out wondrous acts Howe' er, the
mention of a ‘lamb’ in the house which serves no obvious role in the legend
of ‘Jelanott (JA I. pp. 506-507) may reflect a vague memory of the existence
of f. white animal in certain legends from the past

The Christmas Visitors 69

is sometimes earned out by his men at the end of the legend, exactly
as occurs in the Norwegian legends. Such a direct influence would
also help to explain the emphasis on the hiding place of the hero and
the way he calls out at the end {although the Norwegian heroes often
call out something different). Here. too. we at last get some
explanation for why the group has to invade someone else s farmstead
for a dance (in Norway, this was nnraiiy in order to steal Christmas
food and Christmas ale which were both less profuse in Iceland 5 *):
and for why one of the Icelandic legends takes piace at a farm called
Hvammur w (Norwegian variants commonly take piace at a farm
called Kvam, Kvame or K\amme"';: and then finally for why later
Icelandic storytellers talk of spirits m the plural rather than a single
spirit.

The Norwegian legends, however, have clearly adapted
themselves to their new environments and local beliefs. The time
setting for example, has been adapted to the general folk beliefs of
each country. Even though the oldest versions take piace at Christmas
(which was and is seen as being one or the most powerful evenings in
mainland Scandinavan belief), the variant in the Faroes takes piace on
Twelfth Night. In Iceland, the legend is sometimes moved to New
Year’s Eve (the most powerful night in Icelandic folk belief in more
recent times). 1 Ii was also highly unusual in Icelandic folk belief in
the nineteenth centuiy for trolls (with the exception of the so-called
'Christmas Lads" ) or ghosts to go wandering around in large groups
The concept of the oskoieia was unknown there. In Iceland, the only
spirits that were believed to live in groups were the ‘hidden people’ or
elves, and perhaps aiso the sea people (that is to say the ‘seal people’

' Such a tradition seems to i«a\e also existed m Iceland a! certain tunes of the
year, at least on New Year’s Eve. see for example JA III. p.169. which tells
how on New Year's Eve, some people had had 'lights burning in even comer
to lighten it up. and even placed food and wine on the table for them, and the
story says that this food had generally disappeared by the following morning*
(taken from Adrahauda). See also Olaftu Da', idsson, 1978.. 1. pp.9 ?-97 (from
Gish KoiuaOsson's collection Gruskinna)-, and JA i. p 1 19. on light m houses
on. New Year’s hve i based on information from Olat'ur Svcinsson, of Pur key)
See Tolanou i Kasthvamnu’. in JA III. pp. 169- 170,

4|> See Liesiol. I c >33. p. 30; and Christiansen, 195S. pp. 145-156
' r The change (and the confusion) is probably related to the (c. eieven-day)
change m time systems that occurred when people in northern Europe took up
the Gregorian calendar in the mid-eighteenth century.

J ' See further above It is nonetheless questionable whether the Christmas
Lads should be regarded as trolls rather than a form of mischievous elf
Furthermoie, even they tend to travel separately

Northern Studies, vol

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The Christmas Visitors

poem Falhismiit'). One also notes the way some of the invaders go
on liv ing in - or having connections with - lakes or pools (as occurs
with Grendel and the ogress of Bardardaiun even though it is implied
that the beings in more recent accounts are elves or hiddeu people.
Also interesting is the fact that the later hero shows little physical
heroism compared to the activities of his forerunners. He has become
what modern Icelanders leim ’a soft man’: he no longer tights the
beast. He does not even shoot at the intruders like some of his
Norwegian forerunners do. It is quite enough for him to name God or
point to the coining daylight.

The above case study demonstrates clearly how legends both in
Iceland and Scandinavia come into being, live and migrate between
countries, regularly mutating and adapting themselves (often with
difficulty) to the prevailing circumstances and dominant beliefs. As
noted earlier, the motif of c • If dances in Iceland seem to hav e come
about in direct connection with the common Icelandic tradition of
wild communal dance evenings that existed prior to the nineteeth
century. This applies especially to the 'Elf Queen Legends’ which
might point to a belief in a comparable tradition occurring at home
amongst the elves: and also to the warnings about the dangers that
such gatherings posed for young w omen (as can be seen in the legends
aboui 'The Girl and the Dance of ihe Fives’). However, even though
these motifs came to be connected in Iceland to the international
legends of 'The Man With No Name and the Christmas Spirits' (to the
degree that the evil spirits make their invasion for a dance on
Christmas Night) it is clear that the latter two legends have different
origins and are of a different age. It is also obvious that the invading
force was initially not a group of elves or 'hidden people’ but rather a
troll (and' or some ghosts). Furthermore., ii seems apparent that the
more common nineteenth-century form of the legend originated tor
the most part in Western Norway Exactly when that form of the
legend came to Iceland is less certain, but everything points to the fact
that the move must have taken place prior to the Reformation in the
mid-sixteenth century, and that in Iceland, the new Norwegian version
of the legend effectively blended with the old local type especially
known in the north of the country, a legend that has early roots in the
Icelandic beliefs in nature spirits from the early Middle Ages..

^ Sec the introduction to t\ ifmsmal in EtiiictJigie, 1%2 : p-62: bar gordi
SigurOi grof mikla a \ eg inrun og gekk Sigurdr bar f (‘Sigurdur made a deep
ditch in the path and went line that’).

Bibliograph

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ysz Ih “r " sisr -

tmwmmcotiom, 1*4 Helsinki /t//t,u;s

A " £n*;;;«‘,£‘7L «* <» «>. .w„„

“ 11-ill II

Supernatural. 275-282 ° c s> Lfh 's about the

Am, Bjomsson 1996. Sag., Joanna R eykjavjk

Asbjornsen P Chr, and Moe, Joraen 199 y \bntv i ll

Larvik 4 ^ ' or ^ plkan-ennr I-H

??£2s^isss9& m •* *
y&z^d&’Z?*****

,^'asass zsr **

B Fon<Le S :;zizzr" iM/ “ m "*

WW &, Zn'V.t”? K r ! ^ iwj °"’- r
w,/, ,w,, ja * *** *

**“« Hodne, OnH„r (Cl , S d
B|amC: “ d «** *-f <«* ,

Christiansen, Reidar Th 19 '’'’ •k'i M^rv ^ r \ r-

av norske saon VidonA- , J / f P Dovre ' Et bldra " riI studiei

... jMZNr.e.Kriiianjf ' ^ " ti '« «'• Kl.

-WgS, I R 2 . ,dai 1946 Hie Dead and tl,e Llvil, S *• Snnlia

The Christmas Visitors

Christiansen. Reidar 1958. The Migratory Legends: A Proposed List
of Types w ith a Systematic Catalogue of the Norwegian Variants.
Folklore Fellows Connmmcialions. 175 Helsinki.

Christiansen. Reidar Th. 1964. Folktales of Norway Trans, into
English. Pat Shaw Iversen. Chicago.

The Complete Sagas of Icelanders 1997 Eds. Vi&ar Hreinssori et al..
1-V. Revkjav ik

EJdadigte 1962 EddaJigie 111: Ileltedtgte. Ed. Jon llelgason.
Kobenhavn

Hike. Christine 1980. ‘Oskoreia og eksiaseriter'. Noneg, 23. 227-309.
Evrbygg/a saga 1935 hlensk form it IV. Eds. Eiuar Olafur Sveinsson
and Matthias bordarson. Reykjavik 1-184
Garmonsworth, G N and Simpson, Jaqueline (ed. and trans.) 1968.

Beow nil and its Analogues. London.

Gregor, Walter 1883 ‘Kelpie Stories from the North of Scotland’. The
Folklore Journal. I 292-294

Gratis saga A snu aids sonar 1936 hlensk fbrnrit VII. Ed. Gudni
Jonsson. Reykjavik.

Gudnin Bjartmarsdottir 1982: Ljulliiigai og fleira folk Um formgerd,
hugmyndafraedi og hlutverk islenskra huldufolkssagna.’ Timarit
Mals og Menningar. 43. 319-336.

Gunnell, Ferry 1995 The Origins of Drama in Scandinavia
Woodbridge.

Gunnell. Tern 1998 'The Return of Samiundur: Origins and
Analogues Pjob/if og pjodtrii Ritgerdir helgadir Join Hnefli
Adalsteimsyni. 87-111. Ed, Jon Jonsson et al. Reykjavik.

Gunnell. Tern 2001 ‘Gryla, Grylur. Groleks' and Skeklers:
Medieval Disguise Traditions in the North Atlantic’. -In Nordic
Journal of Folklore. 33-54.

Gunnell. Terry 2002. ‘ Komi pen sent korna vilja Sagnir um innras
dvartta a jolum til foma a islenska sveitabaeif Ur manna nunnum
(jitinar um is lenskar pjddsbgur. Ed Baldur Hafstad and Haraldur
Bessason. Reykjavik. 191-209

Gunnell. Terry 20u3. ‘Waking the Wiggle-Waggle Monsters: Animal
Figures and Cross Dressing in the Icelandic Vikivaki Games’. Folk
Drama Studies Today Papers Given at the Internationa!
Traditional Drama Conference 19-21 July. 2002. University of
Sheffield. England. Ed. Eddie Cass and Peter Millington.
Sheffield. 207-224

llodne, Ornulf 1984 The Types of the Norwegian Folktale Oslo.
Jakobsen Jakob 1898-1901 Twins kc folkesagn og atvenryr.
Kobenhavn

74 v

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Jauhiaiiien, Marjatta 1998 Tin- l\ne w „, , , ,

Legends and Folklore Felt t C " ' ^

Helsinki mttue t-ello nj Communications, 267 .

«" a™ M l »» , „

Jon Aroason (ed.i 1864 /»/„„ /,■, ». . _

Po«'dl and Hirikur Magniisson. London”^' ^ E J

jt^

Svemsson. Reykjavik A ° dW td ttnar Olafur

Jblksiigner. ****

/d/kemtme/e, I- VI Arhus " V lU ' hl,r fr* >

Kvidcland, Reimund and Sehmsdorf, Henning K ( t -d ) 1991
Seandmavtan Folk Belief and Legend. Mmneapolts '

“Si ^ S lsMjo ' nri ‘ V Ed Eina, Olafur Sve.ns.son.
^PtevegaJ og^egnvCring^

Berkeley. J X ' W,iA legends and Folktales.

i-iungman, Waldemar 1957 c,

Djursholm. " S ' en S es ™»"hga folksagor III

MacDonald, Donald Archie 1990 -m, , ,

Supernatural in Scotland A General Surs-cv’ 0 /? L' e T " of ,ho
Sounds from the Supernatural 7 9 78 ' Bea,u,deas W4 ^

“t.srrr 1 - 1 "*• - ***«-. «* «.

/ London. 2 '■ do/Vn/n, o.v,

Simpson. Jacqueline (ed. and tram i lose v ,

London. ’ l9SK ' ^ Folktales.

noSe^istOTislfforen^n^^OsI'o. HlSt0r,S * C I ' dss ^ r,tl 4 lever ">S Den

The C hri sun as Visitors

Slrdmback, Dag 1970 All helga land. Siudier i Landnama och det
aldste rituella besitinnigstagandet'. In Stromback. Folklore och
Ji/oiogi Uppsala. 135-165 Originally published in Festsknfi
tilliignod Axel Hdgerstrom ( 1928), 198-220
Torfluldur borsteinssdotiir Holm 1962, Pjodsogtir og sagnir.
Reykjavik.

Van Gennep, Arnold 1960 Rites of Passage. Trans, into English,
Monika B. Vizedom and Gabnelle L. CalTee. London.

Von Maurer. Konrad I860. IslanJische I'olkssagcn tier Gegenwart.
Leipzig.

borsieinn M. Jdnsson 1965. Grima hin uyja sa/n pjdd/egra freeda
islenskra, V. Reykjavik.

A d v isor v Boar d

Northern

Studies

Northern Studies.

tvurn.V u? the Scottish Societ” for i\ orthern Studies

Dr Paul Bibire. Honorary Felloe.'.

Universitv of St Andtows

The Journal of the

Professor Donald Meek,

IhiNersity of Edinburgh Society for Norther

Professor Christopher D. Morns,

Lmversitv of Glasgow

h ! 'c>iossot Enverirus W H.F. Nocol-hsen
Univorsitv of Aberdeen

f.t! David St liar. Honorary Fjiki'v volume 38

University of Edinburgh

Professor Emeritus Bjarrse StokUmd.
unr ersitv of Copenhagen

Professor E? e n k va ■ \ dor Uiet.

Lniversitp of Amsterdam

Edited b v
Arne Kruse &

Scottish

Studies

B j a r n e Thorup Thomsen

Northern Studies, vol. 38

The Christmas Visitors

pp. 145- 152: traits, in The Complete Sagas of Icelanders, 1997, V,
pp. 195-203). Alongside this we have the legends m Gretna saga
(written around 1 400) about the mysterious death of 1 shepherd called
Glamur; Glamur's subsequent fight with she hero Grenir at
borhalisstadir, and then, in turn, Grettir’s conflict with the ogress of
Bardardaittr. all of which take place at Christmas [Gretas saga
Asmundssonur. 1936. pp.'.0lf-119 and 211-212: traits, in The
Complete Sagas of Icelanders, 1997, II, pp. 100- 1 07 and 15I-I55), 2
These legends underline first and foremost the fact that in the oral
legend tradition of the time, the unwelcome Christmas guests tended
to be ghosts and 'trolls’' rather than elves. What 1 would like to
examine here is how these ligates came to be transformed into alfar
(‘elves’) or huldufotk (’hidden people ) J in the later Icelandic folk
tales from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

in Jon Amason's pioneering central collection of Icelandic folk
tales' (and many other later collections containing legends from the
nineteenth and early twentieth century) three particular types of
legends tend to be classified together under the heading of ‘the
Christmas Dances of the Elves'. Before moving any further, it is
necessary to separate the legends into clear type-groups. The

• See also the related accounts in Gratis saga Asmandssomu . 1936. pp 62-71;
and 135-136 (nans, in The Complete Sagas of Icelanders, 1997. II, pp.77.g1
and 83-651 which deal with other forms of ‘Christmas visit’. These deal with
a group of beiserkw warriors and a polar bear which also threaten a house at
Christmas and obviously belong to the same tradition it is likely that the
legend behind the Old English poem Seou l, //(front about 700 AD) about the
regular visits of the monster Grendel in order to kidnap and kill wamors from
the hall of Heorot in Le.ire In Denmark, and the resulting combats between the
hero Beowulf and Grendel - and his mother - reflect the same Scandinavian
belief and motif as those which appear in the account of Grenir and Glamur.
even though the events in Beowulf do not seem to take place in the Christmas
period: see Beowulf. 1973. 11.99-188 (1 11). 663-836 (X-XII), and 1251-1650
(XiX-XXHI): and Gannonsvvay and Simpson, 1968. pp.30 i -332.

■ Gratis saga describes the creature which attacks the farm at BdrBardalur at
Christmas (ch 64-65) as being trollkona mikil 1 {'a great troll woman' p.2I2.
h is also clear that Glamur could also have been described a noli tic in, 'an
evil spirt! ') in the vocabulary use of the time.

” In Icelandic folk tradition, these two expressions are almost synonymous. In
the earliest Icelandic records, however, such spirits seem to be referred to as
‘landvaruir’ or ‘nalturuvaettir' ( land or nature spirits ), rile word 'alfar'
seems to have been used for more godlike spirits (as in the Old Icelandic
Eddie poems) The expression 'hlllduioik has close links to the later
Norwegian expression ‘liuldre’ for similar beings

* Jon Arnason, (954-!96i thereafter JA). 6 vols

generalised common denominator connecting ai; of these accounts is
the later belief that at Christmas (or New Year's Eve) the eives 6 were
on the move in and out of their world, and that they would meet to
hold parties or dances either in their own homes, or (for some odd
reason) on some human farm. Both the nmina 0! tnese gatherings (at
around midnight) and then dating are thus closely linked to Siminal
turning points in lime, when one period is ending and another
beginning. Nonetheless, the idea of particular elf dances taking place
at Christmas or New Year does not seem to be so much related to any
particular belief about eit behaviour as much the simple idea that the
life of the elves in Iceland is seen as being a near mirror image of the
life of human beings. Icelanders in the seventeenth and eighteenth
century tended to hold their vikivaki dance gatherings on large farms
during the Christmas period (see, for example, Gunnell, 199c. pp. 144-
160, and 2003, pp. 207-224), and people naturally believed that the
same applied to the ‘hidden people’ at this time.

in spite of their general shared features, it is clear thar these three
legends are really quite different in several important ways that need
to be borne in mind. First and foremost, as 1 will show, each legend
serves a different function. One can also discern a different origin in
each case. The First legend can be referred to simply as 'The Elf
Queen Legend". As can be seen below, it is closely connected to the
Scandinavian migratory legends known as ‘Following the Witch' (ML
[Migratory Legend] 3045: see Christiansen, 1958, pp 46-48; The
general structure of the legend runs as follows:

1 . An unknown woman appears on a tarm and asks for work.
She works well and is given a position of responsibility (as the
housekeeper or wife of the fanner).

2. Every veai when people go to tire Midnight Mass (at
Christmas or New Year), this woman chooses to stay at home to
take care of the farm.

3. (Extra motif:) If anyone (a man; stays with her on the farm at
that time, he either disappears or is found dead next day.

4. One year, however, another daring farmhand decides to
follow the woman

6 From this point onwards when using the word elves’, I am referring to both
the huldufblk and the alfar. See further note 4 above.

’ See Van Gennep, 1960, on the concept of 'hminai' time 111 our lives and
environment, and in connection with belief and tradition (see especially
pp. 178-184).

Northern Studies, vol. 38

The Christmas Visitors

5. Without being seen, the farmhand follows the unknown
woman (in one example she places a magic bridle on him and rides
him: see JA i, pp. 105-109: 'Hildur alfadiottning’) when she »oes
to the other world (over or under the sea: into the earth or into a
rock).

6- The tannhand sees her welcomed as a returning, but
enchanted Elt Queen and watches as she takes part in an elf dance.

The farmhand takes a souvenir as evidence and follows the
woman home (still unseen).

8. Next day, he informs the farmer about the activities of the
farmer s wife and she disappears back to the world of the elves
usually grateful for being released from her enchantment *

The general framework motifs in this legend (which 1 har e not seen in
this form outside Iceland) about someone looking alter the farm and
the elves holding a dance are clearly minor elements of the story,
suggesting that in fact the legend is wrongly classified w ith the other
types. The central element here, as in the Icelandic -following the
witch legends is the mystery surrounding unknown female workers
who come outside the local community, and especially those w omen
who come from outside and are given positions of responsibility
(similar to those women who arrive as the wires of priests or suddenly
gam employment as housekeepers or ‘foremen’ on a farm) In some
senses the legend is reminiscent of the account concerning the silent
but aloof Irish princess Melkorka who becomes the mistress of an

Icelandic chieftain in Lax dev l a saga (see Laxdieia saga, 1934. 23-28;
trans. in The Complete Sagas of Icelanders. 1997. V, 10- 13). 9

The other two legend types, more directly related to the so-called
‘elf dance gathering’, have even more in common to the degree that
they both deal with a human being who has to stay ‘home alone' on
Christmas night (or New Year’s Eve) while everyone else goes off to
a Midnight Mass. The individual has to somehow survive the
onslaught of the invading nature spirits (usually described in legend
from the nineteenth century as ‘hidden people’ or elves who hold a
party that goes on all night until the sun comes up). Both legends
indicate that previous watchmen have all either vanished or been
found dead. Apart from these shared central features, however, the
two legends are actually quite different in terms of structure and
emphases 1 am of the same mind as a previous student of mine,
Valgerdur Gudmundsdottir, w ho in a course paper argued that these
tw o legends need to be researched separately. 1 1

The first legend type tells of a woman or girl (often the daughter of
the farmer) who has to watch over the farm as the others leave. Unlike
the central figure in the 'Elf Queen Legends', this figure stays put for
the duration of the night’s activ ities. The legend (which we can call
for convenience 'The Girl and the Dance of the Elves’) tends to run as
follows:

1. A woman girl has to stay at home on Christmas night
w hile the people of the farmstead go away to a Christinas Mass
(14 out of 17 legends )

2. Those women who have previously looked after the farm
have died or gone out of their minds.

9 In this connection, one notes particularly the legend Huldukonan niallausa’
(‘The Elt'woman Who Could N'oi Speak’) (JA 111, pp 164-165) which takes
place in southern Iceland and was recorded by Gudmundur Gisli Siguidsson,
the priest at Stadur in Steingrhnsfjoidui, who last lived in Gilsljordur, in
Dalasvsla. As its title suggests, the legend underlines that the outsider elf
woman does not speak (like Melkorka).

10 The Icelandic folklorist Gudriin Bjartmarsdottir has suggested that the two
legends are in fact masculine and feminine versions of the same migratory
legend which work to underline male and female images and the different
social roles of the two sexes: see Gudrun Bjartmarsdottir, 1932, pp.324-326;
and Olina horvardardottir, 1995. pp 15-16. which echoes the same ideas. Even
though 1 agree with these two scholars aboul the message the two legends
present about the different roles of the sexes, it still seems clear to me that
these legends ha\ e different backgrounds and different functions, and need to
be discussed separately.

56 Northern Studies, vol. 38

3. The woman/ girl starts by finishing off the household
chores

4. She next sits on or in bed, and reads (usually the Bible).

5. Some strangers (usually elves or 'hidden people’) enter.

6. Two children come to the woman- girl and she gives them
gifts (often candles).

7. A man comes to her and wants to sleep with her. She
politely refuses,

8. Sometimes she is invited to take pan m a dance in the
house, but again politely refuses.

9. Finally, an elf woman comes to the woman girl (the
mother of the children and wife of the aforementioned man)
and praises her for her good behaviour. She rewards the
woman/ girl with clothes, material or jewellery .

10. The strangers depan (sometimes when on hearing that
daylight is coming).

1 1 . When the household returns they are surprised to see that
the woman girl is still alive and are amazed at her new,
magnificent possessions.

12. in seven of the legends, the mother of the girl or the
fanner’s wife wants to look after the farm next time around,
but she does not know how to behave correctly (morally) and is
harshly punished.

At least fourteen examples of this legend have been recorded, most of
them from hingeyjarsysla (five examples), and from north Mulasysla
(four to five examples), both in nonhem Iceland. 11 It is clear that the
legend is closely related to other legends telling of a girl who is
seduced by an elf (indeed, in some cases, this legend continues in that
form 1 '). However, the central purpose here is to show how the girl
refuses to be tempted by the sinful attractions of dance, alcohol, and
or sex which would lead to her moral downfall and destruction

11 The fourieen legends I know of were recorded in ihe following areas
Amessysla (1 example): Rangarvallasysla (I); Skafiafellssysla < IV. Reykjavik
(1. although the legend takes place in N Mtilassysla): Breidatjordur (1);
Strandasvsla (2); S fnngevjarsysla (5); N. Mulasysla (2); S. Mulasysla ( 2y
see JA I. pp. 114-116 (trails, in Simpson, 1088, pp. 186-187, and Boucher.
1977, pp. 38-42); pp 1 18-119 (trails, in Simpson, 1972. pp 55-56), JA III, pp.
170-175; 177-184 and 198; Sigtus Siglusson. 1982. III. p 156; borsteinn M
Jonsson, 1965, V, pp 13S-14U and Torthildur borsteinsdottir Holm, 1962,
pp. 15-18.

’■ In two examples, the girl watching the house ‘fails’, and goes off with a
young elf man

l he Christmas Visitors 57

(similar in structure in some ways to the well-known legends of 'The
Boy Who Wanted to Learn What Fear ls ?:i ). Instead of yielding, she
chooses to behave like a well-brought up’ girl who emulates the role
of the good mother (is good with children), and who would rather read
her scriptures than dance or 'steal' the husbands of other women. To
this degree, it is probably best to classify this legend along with the
numerous other Scandinavian legends which warn women about the
dangers of public dances and vanity Putting the legend in the context
of an elven party allows the storytellers (male or female) a means of
giving an indirect warning that is clearly meant to apply to the perils
of everyday life. The legend is thus turned into an entertaining parable
rather than a tedious sermon.

The third legend type, which I mean io concentrate on here, deals
instead with a male who looks after the farmhouse at this liminal time
i (we can call it The Man with No Name and the Christmas Spirits’)

and is totally different to the other two legends in several ways. First
and foremost, as the classification title I’ve given implies, the hero is
(almost always) unknown, and an outsider (thereby indirectly
connected with the trolls, elves themselves). He is generally
unnamed, 14 and without any prompting, offers to take care of the
house overnight for the owners.

One can say that the follow ing example of the legend {'Jolanott i
Kasthv ammi’ 'Christmas Night in Kasthvammur) is typical for this
v ersion of the legend as it was known m the nineteenth century

It happened one lime ai Hvammur in Laxardalur. at the lime when masses
used io take place on Christmas night, iliac the man who was left at home
on Christmas Night disappeared. This happened for two years running,
and on the third year, there was no one who wanted to siay at home alone,
with the exception of one man who offered to do this W hen the people

For an Icelandic version of this international legend (AT 326). see JA I,
pp. 259-264. irans. in Jon Aniason. 1864. pp. 161-170; and Simpson. 1972,
pp. 1 22-131.

14 It is natural io draw comparisons with cerium Clint Eastwood westerns
(where another 'man with no name' defends villagers against the atiack of
outlaws, a hide like Kurasawa’s The Seven Samurai), and also with films like
Home Alone (where a child defends Ins home against robbers alone at
Christinas). Indeed, a is particularly interesting to see how films (a central
form of modem global folk culture) have perhaps unconsciously adopted
motifs, structures and even full legends from earlier folk tales ( Die Hard,
which also takes place at Christinas, is another good example of The Man
With No Name and the Christmas Spirits ) Clearly folk iraduton is very'
much alive and well m this adapted form

Northern Studies, vol 38

Til e Christmas Visitors

had left, he look a good book and read it 1 ' until he heard some movement
in the trout of [he farm; he then turned off the light and managed to
squeeze himself between the panel and the wall The sound then started
moving into the In mg room, and grew more frightening, w ith -cut'll, mi
and shout, ng, and when it had entered the living room, it echoed from
even, comer, and then grew happier w hen it realised that there was in fact
no one a, home It turned on the light, put tables ,n the middle of the floor
spread clothes on them and all kinds of decoration and indescribable
wonderful roods. When the parly was at its height, the man jumped out
rrom behind the panel and then the hidden people rushed off from then
tables out and up onto the heath, where they headed for Nykurskil
(which is a big crevice south-east of GeitafeUshnjukur). The man followed
them, but then the people disappeared into a rock But he went home and
sat down with the remains that were on the table, and after that time there
was no trouble on Christmas night. From that tune onw ards that farm was
called kastltvammur flit Shock-Hvammur) because of the ten, hie shock
the hidden people had as they rushed from then food-tables (translated
PP 169-170: originally recorded by Jon a Gautlandt, from

m v \ atn ).

The most common features of this Ic'gend runs as follows: 1 '

1 ? ne c n °!f lhaI Ih,S motlf has been P"*«i up from the legend of 'The Girl
?? . * * anCC the Elves A sundar adaption occurs in the legend
Sakamadurinn og huldufblkwV (JA in, pp. 175-1 76), which the male hero
tm, sites the household duties before preparing himself for the arrival of ,he
spirit* in the usual way

Unless otherwise noted, all translations in this article are bv the author.

The legends are as follows (all but three take place on Christmas Night)-

2 w U " n ":° S SKf0lM '. (JA >■ PP T 12-1 14. nans ,n Jem Arnason. 1864,
pp.yy-99) from Amessysla; • Alfadans a nvarsnott’ (JA I. pp 1 1 ?- ]] 8 trans in
Simpson. 1972, pp.52-54,, recorded by Jon Arnason Hakes place on New
cur e> i hhtldutolksdansmn (JA III, pp 1 79- 1 80.) from f.
Skafiatellssysla; 'Jolanott a Revdarvatni’ (JA III. p 175) from
Kangarvallasysla; ‘Sakamadurinn og huldufolktd’ (JA 111. pp. 1 75-176 cf Ion
l> 0 ikelsson. 1956. pp. 142-144) from Rangarvallasysla; ‘Jolanoltin’ (JA 1

IhsrKl b see ,, al5 ° von Mai,rer 186 0, PP 26-27), on Galdra-Le.fm
or , e , ° ,ValdSSOn) ,rom Breidaijdrftur (but takes place in 'Ohes')
Huldutolk a gamlarskvdld- (JA III. p 1 79) from Strandasysla (on Smurdur
Dalaskald, and takes place on New Year's Eve, Jolanott , Kasthvamtm' (JA
III, pp.109-1 .0) from My vain (on Hvatumur in Sfcagaijordur. given above)-
Saltvtkuriyran (Stglus Sigfusson, 1982. III. pp 160-161) from
Pingeyjarsysla: byslumadur t Allheimum’ (JA III. pp 185-186) from N
Mulasysla. and 'Altar dansa a jolanott' (Slgfds Sigfusson, 1982 IK np I S3-
Is-) from 8 Mulasysla Closely related arc 'MdOnidals-presrunnn' (Olafur
Ddvidsson, 97k 1 pp 93-97, from hingevjarsysla, Hegn, tyrir forv.tin' (JA

pp.173-1 .4) from S. hmgeyjarsysla. which takes place m a stable, and

1 . Evil spirit* (usually referee! to as hidden people’ or elves)
annually take over a farm on C hristmas night (sometimes the
night of New Year’* Eve) while the household goes off to the
Midnight Mass.

2. The person who has to look after the house meanwhile
disappears or is found dead (or out of his wits) next morning.
No one dares to be home at this time

3 An unknown man (often a farmhand or shepherd) comes
(and sometimes asks for accomodation) and says he is not
afraid of the spirits.

4 The people at home flee and the man prepares himself,
hides behind a panel or in a covered hole in the ground. 1 *

5. His dog (if he has one) lies on the floor. 19

6. The spirits arrive noisily (the noise being always
emphasised). If the man has a dog w ith him, the dog is now
killed violently and messtly

7. Sometimes the group is led by an old man who complains
about the smell of human flesh in the house ” 0

8. The spirits dance and drink until .

9. The hero announces that sunrise is at hand (and
sometimes calls on God or Jesus).

10. The spirits run off in panic (sometimes into a lake or
pool -1 ). Occasionally they have to drag the old man out.

1 1 The hero keeps the clothes, food and other belongings
that are left behind,
i 2. The spirits never return

‘Sagan af Stapa-Jom og alfunum’ (Sigfiis Sigfusson. 1982. 111. pp 149-153)
from Skagafjordur which takes place in a chapel

The hero is always ’between the panel and the wall’ except in JA III.
pp. 179-180, JA I, pp.506-507; and JA 111, p 179. In Olafur Davidsson. 1978,
I, pp 93-97, he is in a chest.

19 See JA 1, pp. 112-114 (from Amessysla); JA I. pp 117-118; JA, 111. p 175
(from Rangarvallasysla). JA III. pp 175-P6 (from Rangarvallasysla); and JA
I. pp 506-507 (from Breidafjordur but take* place in ‘Olves"), where the man
ha* a lamb with him

:u See JA 1, pp.l 12-1 14; JA I. pp ! 17-1 18. JA I. pp 506-507; JA III. p 1 7 9, JA
Ml. pp 179-180; JA III. pp. 185-186; Olafur Davids*on. 19^8. I, pp 93-97, and
Sigfiis Sigfusson. 1982, III. pp 149-153.

:I See ’ VinmimaOurimi og Sielolhid' (JA I, pp ! 12-1 14, involving a lake) from
Amessysla, and Jolanott a Revdarvatni (JA III. p 175. involving a lake) and
’Sakamaburinn og huldulolkib’ (JA III. pp.l 7 5-!76, involving a pond), both
from Rangarvallasysla

- N or I h ern St udi bs, vol .

Tlie oldest form of this legend is unquestionably closely linked to the

-d Olantur from vji^imd
uremr s fight with the ogress of Bardardalur (and thus h«,

.mte the conflict between Beowulf and Grendi” This can be teen
best tit the legend ‘Sagan af Grim, Skeljunjtsbana’ (‘The Tale of

t m M Sk ^« r in northern
Maginisson in the e,„h eem entu v ^ “X T™ ^
of this parncniar iegend. which ,s to^^Z JK
htlfunai staftir m Skagafjorftur, and has the following stuenirc •

1. An evil spirit (usually said to be a ghost or troll ,»rher
-ban “ e'f, and often fetnale, thus underiimng a kind of bat

on cSm: s l:r mm ° ,,ly a " aCkS Shephe ' ds “ d '—

J he man " h 0 is looking after the sheep or the farm at the
me disappears or .s found dead next morning. No one dares to
take on the role ot shepherd or be at home at ihis time

and at" 't*™? “T <0 *‘ en 11 Worker or ^epherdl cotnes
and asks to, work, and states tha, he is not afraid of ghosts or

' See note 2 above

The legends are the follow ing; ‘Sawn af firimi et-„t . .

nn 717 Tjtr, p-t - * d o““ 21 wnmi Skeljuuysbana (JA F

pp.-i,-__i8j from Skagafiordur, which was collected k v i .

Z'JtTr*'- Lur at G " mi

trails in ion Amason, 1864. pp I Sl-20^) from SknoifiSrA . PP ? ~ 4 '

pp c 3ll e ^0?f‘ he r; ‘Silfrunarstada^Slotljangui^ '(JA 7“

PP - - ) From Reykjavik: and * $ 1 1 fruna s tada-Grim ur ’ (J \ jrr nn oa

ml p?l5 J f from N^b a,S0 NaU f 1,,n f ^ e, ’^ n garho! ’ < Ocfdur' Bj drns son

match ot some kind. See also >\ I DD 187 107 e.J, "restlmg

atsasfe'rfK

The Christmas Visitors 61

4. The man prepares himself. In this regard, it is worth
noting how the saga hero Greitii prepares himself for the
arrival of the ghost Glamur:

[lie} lay down on the bench opposite the farmer’s bed closet ...
There was a very strong bed frame in front of the seat and he
braced himself against that . .. ( Grettis sag a Asmimdssonar,
1936, p.l 19; trails in The Complete Sagas of Icelanders, 1997,
II. pp 105-106).

As regards Greitir s preparation for the ogress of Bardardalur, it is
stated that

He look the tables and spare umber and and w edged them across the room
to make a wall mo high that none of them could get across it . The way in
was via the side wall of the farm below the gable, and then by the
platform: Gesir lay down there, but did not get undressed I Grettis saga
Asmimdssonar. 1936. p.211. trans. in The Complete Sagas oj Icelanders
1997, II, p ! 52)

There are clear parallels in the way heroes in the later legends
regularly prepare themselves tn a similar way to Grettir (and Beowulf)
behind or below wood.

5. Sometimes (if the legend is in two halves) the shepherd is
killed in a very violent fashion ( Glamur and Skeljungur).

6. The spirit comes to the house and tries to drag the hero
out (from the 'cultural’ area into his 'her own ‘wild’ area).

7. A wrestling match takes place (notably no weapons are
involved) both inside the house and outside it.

8. The spirit (often wounded) rushes off. sometimes into
water (a lake or waterfall)

9. The hero chases the spirit and kills him her.

As in the case of the legends of The Girl and the Dance of the
Elv es', it is clear that most stories of this kind originate in the northern
part of the country. -4

There were strong cultural connections between northern and southern
Iceland owing lo w orkers from the north taking regular trips to fishing stations
in the south to work or buy fish. The same kinds of legends are commonly
found in hingeyjarsysla (Skagafjordur and Vatnsdalun and EyjaQardarsysla in
the north, and in Rangarvallasysla, Arnessysla, and Gullbringusysla in the
south. The legends Nitjan ulilegumenn’ (JA II. pp. 233-234. fiom Reykjavik),
and ‘Allan bjarnadyr a Langanesi* (JA I, p.60S; From Vamsdalur) are

Jiludies, vol 38

* * *•"* " ^ — - '
ghosts anJ other forms of centul ;^ s behered that trolls,

(probably m pre-Christian ils P ° iCd a t,a| iger at Christmas
been at the »„,os ‘ C penod 0"««on «ould have

especially m northern Icelan I * <1°™ tarl * V po,m 01 t,me (and

'vere,o.dabot,t ^ ou !^troesr: g f rm ; r a " d «1«

fought Off intruding sp.rits (hreini.i if* ° leI ‘" a " d Gn,m ' r) " bo
bet ’s ,-ole attains, the ua , 7 " US 111 SOmc "=>« of the rtud

and **«““•“« lbc eklef

•he Christinas Spn ,s , L'T, ' Mau " uh N»«.e and

taken place w.tlmuhe ora , , "f '° Ihe cha, «« ‘>> a ' bare

has been changed into 'evil « . bou , t le ealper solo evil spirit

being a shepherd out in (lie wihfomo 1 '°” i'h lle '° 1135 chan S ed troni
environment; how the hero now often V ^T” dlC ln,emal homc
killed as part of the ston and la , V g " ,tl ' hu "- »*«* is

have now become Inddet, pe^e'" ““ S ^'7^ ^
particularly uncomfortahlv P . , 1 ]asl motif sits

evil spans and n °‘ ,eaSt be “ 11 -' **

*e> leave, something verv rarely ^ ^ P ° nds atter

the best of my knowledge ^ stmtn v‘, ed " ,lh Icelandic elves to
way the V, shots So, ^ ^ a ; pr0b,e ' ns oc - ,r w ,,h regard to the
frightened of daylight and the n 'lolenev, and are obviously
characteristics' Ire “ f g ° ' ^ ^ 0t '"™

regularly appear bv day and ar' !t Ue Icela,ld ' c clve3 "ho

d - own churched rd'pn^s N ^’f, 'l 01 ''* ^ ^

met, own living rooms or halls for this purpose?

both tell of men who m kidnaorjL & I'ml fa ° m V klubsysla, which
disappearance is caused by irolls * bnslmas by trolls, or whose

tSei:L^ht pe °; ,hc ■ '«*«* »*

of the evening readi ^ T *** read " loi,d “ I™

Icelandic farms. Indeed motifs drawn trim If i' 1 ™ " e ' e 50 conl ' non on
common in the oral legends of Iceland fnr^l, N “**• ” e relat, ' d y

Gunnell 1998) s ' C| T reason (see tor example

supernatur^ 1 ' beings *"Tnc ” ° the° trol f 11 ^ ™ ? 0,mected 10 other earlier
mother, both of whom live behind or hel^ wal. al “ r ** Uren<lel ' s

The Christmas Visitors

The relative age of the legends ot' the more recent type seems
clear: they stem essentially from a time that had already gone by w hen
most of the legends came to be recorded in the nineteenth century As
the Icelandic ethnologists Jonas Jonasson and Arm Bjorasson have
pointed out. Christmas Midnight Masses like those mentioned in the
legends were banned in Iceland by royal edict in 1744. They
nonetheless seen} to have continued in some places until about 1770
(Arm Bjornsson. 19%, pp.330-33 1; and Jonas Jonasson. 1961,
pp.2U5-20S, and 211).

It is also worth bearing in mind that migratory legends of this type
did not only exist m Iceland but also in neighbouring countries ( in
Norway, Sweden. Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Shetland).
Comparison with these legends helps a great deal with explaining the
odd form of the nineteenth-century Icelandic legends.

In other countries, this particular legend has been classified by the
Norwegian folklorist Reidar Christiansen as ML 6015 ('The
Christmas Visitors') and ML 6015A ('The Christmas Party of the
Fairies’, which is closely related) (Christiansen. 1958, pp. 144-158). 2
Christiansen describes the legend in ns Norwegian form as follows
(shared features in the Norwegian and Icelandic forms have been
italicised here):

To a certain farm (AT)'* 1 , on Christmas Eve (A2), a wayfarer came,
asking for a night's lodging (A3) The owner of the house (BI)
answered that they could not take in anyone since they themselves had
to vacate the house (B2), having prepared food and drink (B3) for the
fairies (trolls) who used to occupy the house (B4). The wayfarer,
however, tn spite of the cm m > s warning (CD said that he would stay
(C2) and did so. having the company of the bear or a dog (C3) and his
gun tC'4| He then hid in a corner behind the fireplace |D1) and saw
the visitor* arrive I.D2). commenting upon the smell of human beings
(D3). and led hy an old man (D4) who presided at the ruble. During
the meal they ottered him gifts (D5) or drank to Ins health (Do) saving
that this was a gift to the leader i D 7 ) After a while, the man in hiding
joined in (El), firing his gun at the leader (E2). or saving that this was
his gift (E3). fhe enraged bear chased the visitors away (E4). or the
man lashed at them with a split suck, thus making it impossible for
them to count off the blows (F5) Finally the visitors fled in

' Christiansen names 49 examples from easicm Norway; 24 from Telemark;
26 from southern Norway , 89 from western Norway 4 from Trondelag; and
only 2 from northern Norway.

lf The numbers reflect motifs and features winch do not necessarily always
appear and tend to vary in form. For example, ('4 (the gun) is sometimes not
used.

Northern Studies, i „I

.I 8

(VT:c^rr g j^ a,,d «?** * ^

*«* * ,„e one "V"""’ 101 *• *»*

4gu/o ne«fe,/ to vacate hn h k ! "' ,fe /"«"f A* wivr

someone shouted frouuhe lull f li,f " exl tl,r 'stnm Fv e,

“ hl “ - f«IK J n(l S fell -,: n -'^. a d.heb, g

tmens ' - Ihe v 'sttors neve, dared ,en„n ' ' SOra< ev '“ ««™r

and t^e J 11 * 1 **lm S with the man

Trainer and his Bear ; or K ", a ^ n “ ; AT " 6I <‘ Thd Bear
Norwegian) by Aame and Th ' ', ,>d Uovie as it ,s called in

Types of the b'olk Tale (see Aarne^^l n * he,r lnternational hst of
also Hodne 1984, p,219) Thompson, 19"). p.366: and

" « obviously 'best^knowu 'in't ** ' n ™ C " hcr has 11 bear or » dog)
Norway. l n lhe reS .nc,ed AT | ftSlT"'? 1 " 5 ' lnd ' j °'' ds of Weste ™
and the bear), however „ seems to h f deSl,nfi wlth [he '"an
•fom Trondelag , S , Olav y C a rt, °,H f !° UC ‘ “' e P ' lgnm ">“te
Norway through Sweden ‘and n I™"**'" 1 N ' ldar °s) m
Czechoslovakia."' The most wef , ,. nn De " la ' k t0 Ge 'many and

Noraa > are those which are AlTT °' ,he lc « cnd

collections of folk tales first ^f’^i Asbj ‘ ,n]sei1 and Moe’s

■Rensdyrsjagt ved Rondane’ (‘Deer Hnw f S,0, - v w,, ection

legend is wrongly connected to th ( ' g Ro " danc '>- " here the
sa| d to come from the farm AV ^ / humer Per G >™ (who is
misleading account of the youngTtomell^P^f 1 ' 1 ' beCallsi ol ,lle
■hen .0 the legend ‘Kjctta pa Do! re rri "r g f ^' e ' and

as follows. G,e GaI °f Dovre’) which runs

r , ,fr , T k t who i,aj ,,ad «*■ • *

happened ihat he came to” Dovrefield cm Chn n® Uanma ‘ k 11 then
jeta on Chr <*bnas night, and there he

Hodne [1984 nn 'mg itv\

Bevre The legend WcIwth^tta^T^r “ anlple ' of ‘ K|ct ' J P*

were also collected Pmland (42 e«mn|e T ' a " h " u F t '

lc " " l<; Finnish form G IS01-I900V f P , iee a,s ' > Jaiiliiamen l49*,p.T42
Denmark ,20 k Geonan Sweden

RuS f/'» -« Aame and Thompson tQ 73 n a i6 ' Sl °' en,a and
mind that more collecting has take,, pIac ’ P ‘ 6 (l n «-'«sary m b ejr ln

Estonia, and that ,1ns w.lUffec ,h e , ,u! nber ™ C0Umr,ei ilke Finland and

Asbjorasen and Vtoe. 1 90s pp , 7 „ .

Booss. 1984. pp. 33-34 On Molia.",?A 7. ' ‘-■specallj- pp.275-276: trails, m
I-iestol. 1948. p 14, s “ l S duou "' ‘ 1nd ‘he error, sec. for example.

The Christinas V isitors

uent into a farm huilchng. wliete a man named Halvor lived He asked
it lie could borrow a house Ini himsell and his polar bear
Oh God!' said the man of ihc farm. We can i lend a house to anyone
now. because every Christmas night such a large group of trolls comes
that we have to move out We haven t even got a roof to put over our
own heads ‘

‘Oh. you can still lend me a house,' said the man. hnv bear can lie bv
ihe sto\ e here, and 1 can he down in the back room.*

> es. lie went on asking tor so long that in the end he got permission.
So then, the people on the farm moved out. and the tale was fully laid
tor the trolls, with rice porridge and turefhk [fish boiled in lye] and
sausages, and everything else that was good, just like a grand banquet.
And then the trolls arrived. Some were big and some vvere small, some
had long tails, some had none, and some had big, bie noses, and they
ate and they drank, and tasted everything.

But then one ol the little trolls caught sight of the polar bear that was
sleeping by ihe stove, and he took a sausage, put it on a fork and
grilled u in the tire, and then w ent ov er and stuck it on the nose of the
polar bear, who burnt himself ‘Pussy! Want a sausage’’ lie screamed.
Then the polar bear got up and grow led and chased them all out, the
w hole group of them, big and small.

The following year. Halvor was in the forest in the afternoon of
Christmas Eve. getting wood for the Christmas feast, because he
expected the trolls to come back

He was working hard when he heard a voice shout out in the forest:
‘Halvor’ Halvor!’

'Yes.’ said Halvor

Have you still got that btg cat wtth you?*

Yes. She's lying at home by ihe stove.' said Halvor, 'and now she's
had kids, she's had three kittens, and they 're all bigger and more
irritable than she is herself

We re never coming back to you again then!’ veiled the troll in the
woods, and since that time not a single troll has come round to
Halvor s for porridge at Christinas time (translated from Asbjomsen
and Moe 1014. H. 240-241 collected in Gudbrandsdal in Norway). 51

The oldest version of ML 6015 AT 1161, however, is not found in
Norway but in the German poem Das Sehretel und der W'asserbar’

Lor other versions, see for example Sande, 1992, II. pp 49-52 (a good
example from Kvamsoy. Sogn in Norway). Christiansen. 1964. pp. 1 23-124
(an example from western Norway about another farm by the name of
Kvame): Kltntberg, 1972, p 130 ancl p 308. and Kvideland and Sehmsdort,
1991. pp 2.->7-23fc (examples from Vasiergotland, Sweden). Liungman, 1952..
HI. pp 506o09 (also from Sweden), and Kristensen. 1982-1901, I, pp.434-
■f, (legends 1400-1403, from Denmark). Certain translations are available in
Kvideland and Sehrnsdorf. !99|. pp.237-238: and Lmdow, 1978. pp 90-91.

The Christmas Visitors

Northern Studies,

vol. 38

be!Ween 1290 and >295. This
the King of Denmark, ’HemrV ^ ? om ,‘ he Kl!5 8 of Norway to
similar to the ML 601 > vr t '/ , " F ‘, eibeig s accoum is obv iottslv

nineteenth cento* exec™ to'rt *** ™

Orem,- and Grimur Skeljungab.ni 'legend Tonlv til ^ BC0W “! f -
causing trouble at a time Fimh.™, , 1 , > te,ls 0! °ne spirit

with Grendel and Ins mother 'hcehn* Beo ' u,1! s encounter
place at Christmas Tl,. ’” entioa 01 thc action takm-i

K„u, itSSiKT by r Nj! ' ves ™

the main pan, ts that th <72 Z ! W “‘ sts have accepted for
to a mediev al account of anotiwfr^ d Se ” d " S Wm e,osc, . v linked

nave travelled with a polar bear from r£!lt , ' 3180 Siild 10

there to King Sveinn f st-ir- ' " nd 10 Norway, and from

a ** v cuiij csUJOaSon Of Dennvirk 1 |sea r-i i. .

v ersion or this account (Aud.mcr rti-M h ,,la,lUiCr,p '

written the Mo.k^k.nno manuscript n *e hi,"' 77\T
tlurteem century ( see JwW ^ ™ L "? 01 «*

important to underline that ihe h„„ I * h 15 «lso

” a "°" -

J'Z“«zrzz are zz r 1 ir* - *. « *

became connected at a” e'rlv IR ! U " ntten medieval legend,
concerning £ T “ ,he 0,d ^"avian beliefs,

encroachments onto ta^de at “ d ,heir

this connection 9 k imara lc ' ‘ e ‘ un - e i solstice, jo
1161 legends from Western Nolwav" *“>' ° f the ML MIS- AT
movement and armai oft!'* so m ti’w aU . P yCed ln l!ie contcxt of the
of malevolent, vio e n t and ZT ' T^ w » group

down from the Tn™

usually take the form of ghosrs or h-ou- ■ hu * a, ; as These s P‘nts
of Gudrun Gjukaddttir tor Guro Rs-'-P ^ ‘f8 enJa O' figures
Norway) and SigurOur fafnisb'u]' rs’ s , 1<ne '.’ as she 15 called in

aasrel-zg

a.™iT,‘!ri£'£s s,r, - «»»«

1 80; Crambo ct aJ. 1981, pp ->iy, ^>y B ^ ’’ S,1,ei ■ 1 93 ^ PP- 1 64-

Lindow. 1978, p .no. ' B Giambo CI ®>L l c >82, p i «6; and

Oil thc phenomenon of the ini'nvi-
** 1980 A ^

belief in these spirits was still strong in the early twentieth century can
still be seen in the tar crosses painted over doors of certain old farms
preserved on folk museums like those in Sogndal and Forde in Sogn
and Fjordane in Western Norway. These crosses, which were annually
painted over the doors of the main farm, the stable and the
storehouses, were meant to protect the buildings against the inv asion
of this powerful supernatural force.

It is interesting that the ML 6015' AT 1 161 legend is not known in
Ireland, and that, to thc best of my knowledge, only one version has
been found on the mainland of Scotland (see Baughman, 1966. p.27;
MacDonald. 19%, p.62; Almqvisi, 1991, pp. 275-278, and Gregor.
1883, p.293 ‘G. It should come as no surprise, however, that it appears
in the North Atlantic islands. In Shetland, it occurs in the legend of the
'Trow of Windliouse* which was collected on the island of Yell in
Shetland, a legend which also takes place at Christmas but in which
the hero has no dog (see Bruford, 1982, pp.80-84).*’ 3 The variant
recorded in the Faroe Islands, interestingly enough takes place on
Twelfth Night (in Scandinavian known as the 'thirteenth’), which was
the ‘elf night' in Faroese belief. Even though the hero is female (but
makes no sign of reading the Bible) the Faroese version of the legend
is very similar to the accounts found in Iceland: the hero hides beneath
a table, and the evil spirits (here trolls) dance and all disappear
chaotically when the hero calls: ’Jesus have mercy on me!’ The
storyteller adds that when the people of the farm returned the next
day, 36 the old woman (the hero of the legend) underlines that: ’tey
hvurvu, ta tey hoyrdu hana nevna Jesus’ (‘they left when they heard
her name Je$us'}(Hammershaimb, 1891. pp 357-358: a legend from
Trolianes on the island of Kalsoy. see also a related legend from
Mtkines on p.356: and Jakobsen, 1898-1901. pp 207-208).

of people can be found in Sande, 1992. pp. 278-279 ’Em. som varte teken av
jolareidi ’

34 In the legend from northern Scotland related by Gregor, the trolls have been
replaced by a waierhorse, once again underlining ihe earlier form of the
legend with its single antagonist related to u jiei

- Noticable in this legend is ihe fact that the evil spirit once again appears
alone, and is closely reminiscent of the formless troll known a-> the ’Boygen
which appears in another Norwegian legend about Per Gym. see also
Asbjomsen and Moe. 1995, 1, pp. 272-273: and ol course also Ibsen s play Par
Gy iif. See also Briggs. 1971, pp 372-374 for another legend from Shetland
(’Thom and W illie ), about a fairy gathering m a house on a deserted anu
isolated island This also contains v arious motifs from ML 6015.

Like those in the Norwegian (bui not Icelandic) legends, they bad had lo
totally abandon their house for that night of ihe year.

The Amber Room Mystery - Historic Mysteries

May 11, 2010

historicmysteries.com

The Baltic region is known to contain huge
deposits of amber. In fact, some estimates claim
up to 80% of the world’s supply of the fossilized
tree resin is located there. Its warm, golden glow
is prized by artists and collectors alike. The
highest quality of amber has been used for
ornamental and jewelry production since Neolithic
times.

Perhaps the best known and inspired use of
amber was the creation of the Amber Room in
1709 by designer Andreas Schluter and amber
craftsman Gottfried Wolfram.

Upon completion, the Amber Room was proudly displayed at the Charlottenberg Palace in
Prussia. It was considered a true masterpiece. During a visit to Prussia in 1712, Czar Peter
the Great of Russia confided in King Friedrich Wilhelm I on how much he adored this
stunning room. In order to cement an alliance against Sweden, King Wilhelm I presented the
Amber Room as a gift to Czar Peter the Great. The royal gift was shipped over water to
Russia in 18 large boxes in 1716.

Once in Russia, the Amber Room was further built upon and renovated. In its final form in
1763, the Amber Room spanned 55 meters and contained over six tons of amber. It was
located in the Catherine Palace of St. Petersburg and admired by the lucky few who were
able to see it. The feeling one would get visiting the Amber Room can be described as the
following:

“When the daylight was shining through the wide windows, it replaced hundreds of
lighting candles and created thousands of reflections in the mirrors. This light
made multicolored Amber walls shine more beautiful than gold and created a
deeply lasting impression never forgotten by any visitor.”

Most words cannot describe the awe someone would feel while in this room. In fact, many
considered the Amber Room the “Eighth Wonder of the World”.

The Amber Room would stay in Saint Petersburg (known as Leningrad at this time) until
1941. In that year, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. As part of
the occupation on Soviet territory, the acquisition of all arts and treasures back to Germany
was of highest priority.

When Leningrad (formerly St. Petersburg) was about to fall to German forces in 1941, efforts
to transport the Amber Room to a safer location failed. The dried and fragile amber would
crumble when handled. The only course of action for the curators in saving the room was to

place wallpaper over the amber walls and disguise it as any other typical room.

This fooled no one as the Germans were well aware of the location of the Amber Room.
Within 36 hours, the Amber Room was dismantled and placed inside 27 crates on 18 trucks.
It was transported to Konigsberg castle in East Prussia, where it was reassembled and
opened for exhibition in March, 1942.

The war would not stay in Germany’s favor for long. In 1 945, Konigsberg was heavily
damaged by Royal Air Force bombers and on April 9, 1945, the Soviets advanced into
Konigsberg, setting the city ablaze. Since spring of 1944, the Amber Room has never been
seen again.

THEORIES AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE AMBER ROOM

• According to records, Hitler ordered the transfer of looted possessions to safer
locations on 21 and 24 January 1945. Eyeswitnesses support a theory that the Amber
Room was disassembled again and placed on crates at a railway station. The Amber
Room was then placed aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, which left port on January

30, 1 945. The Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk shortly thereafter by a Soviet submarine.

• The Amber Room was hidden in a basement bunker in Konigsberg, which has since
been sealed off and inaccessible to the general public.

• Another theory is that the Amber Room was buried in a mine in the Ore Mountains.

The most likely scenario is that the Amber Room was destroyed in the Konigsberg castle
blaze following the Soviet occupation of the city. The Russian leadership flatly denies this
accusation, but researchers claim there are a variety of reasons the then Soviet government
denied destroying this work of art. The main motives of their denial is strictly political: to
deflect guilt for the destruction of this masterpiece by their own hands and to use as leverage
on any grievances placed on Germany following the conclusion of the war.

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The Amber Room Mystery - Historic Mysteries

May 11, 2010

historicmysteries.com

Pieces of the Amber Room have been found since
1945. The most recent in 1997, when one of the
four stone mosaics that was used to decorate the
room was recovered in western Germany. It was
in the possession of the family of one of the
soldiers who packed it up.

However, multiple searches continue for the
possibility that the Amber Room was salvaged.
Avenir Ovsyanov, an official on the search for
missing art with Kaliningrad's regional
government, stated some portions of the Amber
Room did burn in the Konigsberg castle, but most
of it was likely taken away by the Nazis before the

While the search for this original work of art continues, a reconstruction effort using mostly
black and white photographs was undertaken to recreate the Amber Room. On the 300th
anniversary of St. Petersburg, the new Amber Room was was dedicated to Russian President
Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.

As to what fate the original Amber Room actually had, that is still in dispute. However, those
who understand the nature of amber will tell you that if it’s not properly cared for, it will
become brittle and crumble into dust. If the Amber Room did survive the inferno, it has most
likely returned back into the earth from which it came.

References

The Amber Room/Wikipedia
Amber Room

Mystery of the Amber Room Resurfaces/MSNBC. com

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The reconstructed Amber Room. Photo credit:
Wikipedia

Soviet’s had time to secure the city.

The Anglo Zanzibar War: The Story of the Shortest War in
History | When On Earth - For People Who Love Travel

whenonearth.net

HhSGIastjo*

■ Zanzibari
I I Bindings

HMS St George

HMS Racoon HMS

HMS Thrush

, 1 J \ . Palace \

1 House of r h^icih i \

'Wonders 1 J — 1

' German Comukue

Angio-Zanzibar_ War

British
East

Africa# Mombasa

Pemba

German
East
A f r i c a

U / , .

• Ketwa

Zanzibar Town s q

The world has witnessed many wars -
some were fought years after years, some
were notorious for their violence and huge
number of casualties, and some were
important for changing the course of world
history. However, the little-known Anglo-
Zanzibar War has also claimed a spot in
the war history of the world, not for any
important reason or for carrying any
historical value but for being the shortest
war in the history.

A Map Showing Locations of Zanzibar
Town and Zanzibar. Photo Source:
Wikimedia Commons

The Anglo-Zanzibar War in 1896 took only 38
minutes! It started at 9:02 in the morning EAT
(East African Time) and the fire ceased at 9:40
a.m. EAT.

Historical Background of the Shortest War

Bagamoyo

Zaiizibiir

In 1890, the Heligoland-Zanzibar treaty was
signed between the United Kingdom and
Germany. It outlined the specific regions of
influence for the imperial powers in East Africa.
According to the signing, Germany took over the
mainland Tanzania while Britain took Zanzibar under its influence.

shortest_ war_Ang!o-Zanzibar_ war_ map

A Map Showing Disposition of Naval
Forces. Photo Source: Wikimedia
Commons

Britain declared the region as a
protectorate of the British Empire. They
throned their own puppet' Sultan Hamad
bin Thuwaini in the region in 1893. The
problem began after the Sultan’s sudden
death on August 25, 1896. Within a few
hours of his death, his nephew, 29-year-old
Khalid bin Barghash, who many suspected
the one to poison the Sultan, seized the

Angio_zanzibar_ war_ shortest_ war crown in a coup. Khalid was not Britain’s

favorite and he refused to seek the Empire’s approval, which the Sultans of Zanzibar were
bound to do according to the signed treaty.

The 38-Minute War

The Sultan’s Guardship HHS Glasgow
before the Bombardment. Photo Source:
Wikimedia Commons

The Empire decided to dethrone Khalid
and install their chosen candidate
Hamoud bin Muhammad to the throne.
They gave Khalid time until 9 a.m. EAT,
August 27, to cede the power. He
responded by assembling HHS Glasgow
- the ex-Sultan’s yacht - into a navy, 2
boats (more like 2 big motorboats), a
quartet of artillery batteries, and 2,800

men of his own to fortify the palace.

HHS_G!asgow_Sultan's_guardship

Destroyed Palace of the Sultan. Photo
Source: Wikimedia Commons

On the other end, the British assembled
five modern warships, including three
cruisers and two gunboats, in the palace-
front harbor and gathered more than
1,000 land troops. Khalid did not believe
that the British would actually attack the
palace. He sent a message to Basil Cave,
the British diplomatic point of contact,
thirty minutes before the attack. Cave told
him to step down but he refused to oblige.

British Marines after the Capture of Sultan’s Palace. Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

After the ultimatum ran out, the British started firing at 9:02 a.m. EAT. The British navy sank
Khalid’s fleet and completely destroyed the palace. The Sultan’s flag came down from atop
the palace and the war was over at 9:40 a.m. EAT. It was the shortest war but more than 500
people were either killed or wounded. Only one British soldier was injured but he recovered
later.

The Outcome

Marines in Zanzibar

Khalid fled to the German Embassy and
was granted asylum. Britain made
Hamoud bin Muhammad the next Sultan
and he served until his death in 1902.
Zanzibar secured its independence from
Britain through an uprising in 1964. The
archipelago joined Tanzania and is
currently a semi-autonomous part of
Tanzania in East Africa.

Zanzibar Today. A Beach in Zanzibar.
Photo Source: Rob

On the other end of the spectrum, the
longest war in history lasted for 335
years without a single shot fired. Known
as the Three Hundred and Thirty Five
Years' War, the bloodless, theoretical
state of war started in 1651 between
the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly
and came to an end by declaring peace
in 1986. Apart from that, the longest
war with bloodshed was the Hundred
Years War between England and
France continued from 1337 to 1453.

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The Appalachian Druid Church - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

by admin • January 13, 2015

The term “Druid Church” is an archaic
phrase for a very common event in
Appalachian areas. The phrase was
commonly used during the Nineteenth and
early Twentieth Centuries. If you have a
good amount of Appalachian knowledge,
you’ve probably already guessed what this
is. It’s a “camp meeting.” Camp meetings
were known by a wide variety of names,
including “grove service.” Today, they can
also be “tent revivals.”

The term “druid church” came into use due to the old pagan style of worship.
Druids were one of the few European pagan groups to worship, not at stone
monuments, alters, or even in temples, but in groves of oak. Camp meetings
occurred in rural, remote locations. They were held beneath the overhang of large
trees for shelter from the elements, especially during the warmer months. Camp
meetings were generally scheduled when they wouldn’t interfere with farming and
planting duties. There weren’t legions of spiritual advisors and counselors; usually
just one or two traveling ministers.

When Appalachian areas were first settled, there weren’t any towns and cities.
There weren’t communities or even villages. Your closest neighbors could be a
mile or more away. Naturally, there weren’t any established places of worship.
Areas fortunate enough to have the resources for a house of worship seldom had
spiritual leaders to fill them. Most had to make do with a traveling circuit rider
minister a few times a year.

Most towns wouldn’t see established churches with regular services for decades.
It’s estimated the first physical churches didn’t become common until the 1840s
and 1850s. The practice grew so popular that churches in England started
observing camp meetings, which became known as the Primitive Methodist
Society.

The settlers were deeply religious and someone had to find accommodation. In the
1790s, gatherings began to emerge that would later be called “camp meetings.”
From what is currently known, the first camp meetings were believed to be held

Image from an 1839 Camp Meeting.

somewhere between 1797 and 1800 by Dr. James McGreedy, in Logan County,
Kentucky. From all available information, it would’ve been in 1797, as one
tremendous gathering happened in Cane Ridge, Kentucky, in 1798. Over 20,000
people, of all colors and ages, gathered to worship in Cane Ridge.

Camp meetings normally lasted for several days and up to a week or more.
Transportation was so poor and so unreliable that people had to set up tents and
living areas to attend. Many attendees traveled for days just to reach the meeting.

A great deal of fresh water was necessary to sustain the needs of the congregants.

One common area for camp meetings was in Wise County, Virginia. One sizable
spring near Glamorgan was the perfect location. The meeting at this spot was often
held by the Wise Methodist Church. Camp meeting traditions were so popular that
they were highlighted by the Federal Writer’s Project in 1941 . Tent revivals aren’t
as common as they once were, even in the smallest Appalachian areas, but they
still exist.

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The Battle of Los Angeles

February 24, 2015 historicmysteries.com

You are a soldier of the American Military in the middle of World War 2 stationed on
California’s West Coast. It’s been a arduous three months since the surprise attack on Pearl
Harbour. Your CO has ordered you to keep an eye out for possible Japanese sneak attacks.
Just last night, a submarine was spotted further north, attempting to destroy an oil refinery - a
key target in a conflict that had raged for years now. It is now just after 2am. What was that?

That is the question that historians, veterans, investigators and the general public have been
pondering for 70 years now. What was that thing? Was there anything really there?

• A barrage balloon?

• A Top Secret or covert Black Ops development?

• The Japanese Air Force?

• A blimp?

• Or something else completely?

The debate rages on even now. Regardless of what was spotted, the understandable
response of a tense and suspicious army was to fire everything it had at the object and blow
the thing completely out of the sky. Approximately 15000 shells later, the apparently
undamaged object disappears. Six casualties are reported on the ground; confusion
surrounds their fate. Popular consensus stated that the shelling was responsible, but cardiac
arrests were reported. If the Air raid sirens and the bombardment of AAA guns did anything, it
was to wake up the entire city. Witnesses reported everything from single white lights to a
giant alien mothership.

Of course this epic encounter was sandwiched roughly halfway between the infamous War of
the Worlds radio broadcast and the Kenneth Arnold sightings. With everything that was taking
place, only one man took the time to record the event photographically. This picture, shown in
this article, has become one of the most enduring and iconic of all UFO photographs on
record. While it has been retouched and restored, a routine practice for most photography of
the era, the LA Times has categorically denied any and all accusations that it has somehow
doctored or enhanced the photograph. The image does support the notion that something
was hovering or moving at the time. A recent curiosity came to light when UFO researcher
Ben Hanson (of Fact or Faked) researched the encounter; the negative stored within the LA
Times archive was discovered to be a copy and not an original.

The Press and Media had a field day during and shortly after the sighting. CBS reported on
the incident as if it were broadcast live but was, in fact, recorded several hours after the last
of the shelling had stopped. Press conferences were arranged and held as promptly as could
be realistically expected. Some of these insisted on explanations such as false alarms,
practice drills and a combination of mass hysteria and vivid imaginations. The official verdict
was that the entire episode was caused by a lack of proper knowledge of the primitive radar
technology, heightened tensions of the War and what may or may not have happened and
general confusion. Surely someone must have realised this at some point during the two or

three barrage.

Reports of wreckage being found and shipped off somewhere were denied. It is possible that
some of the shelling had somehow been mistaken for debris from whatever was thought to be
gliding over the skies that night. It was also thought that the shells themselves were taken to
be enemy aircraft and fired upon as well. It cannot be refuted that the War itself was a
contributing factor to whatever was going on at the time. Five years before or after might have
made a difference. When the conclusion of hostilities arrived, the Japanese military insisted
that none of their aircraft or forces were involved in whatever was seen during that particular
night-time.

Every side in this fascinating tale has denied any culpability of responsibility, which is likely to
mean that The Battle of Los Angeles is a mystery not likely to be solved to any great
satisfaction.

The Bayeux Tapestry - Historic Mysteries

May 6 , 2011

historicmysteries.com

The famous Bayuex Tapestry chronicles the
battles leading to William the Conqueror’s
ascension to the English throne on Christmas Day
of 1066.

The first recorded mention of the tapestry (which
is not a tapestry as much as it is a 255-foot piece
of embroidery) is in the late 15th century in an
inventory of France’s Bayeux Cathedral. It is
certainly much older than that.

The mysteries surrounding the tapestry go back to its origins. It is no longer known who
commissioned it and when and why. As it depicts what was a Norman (French) victory, was it
commissioned by one of the new Norman overlords and created in England? Was it created
in France? A convincing argument could be made either way.

The Bayeux Tapestry contains depictions of various battles and other significant events in the
change of power in England. Both King Harold II of England and William appear numerous
times, and there are also occurrences of clergy and a multitude of soldiers. Halley’s Comet
even makes a cameo appearance. The upper and lower margins of the cloth include
depictions of birds and various animals and human figures. There are even words sewed into
the cloth to identify major players in the story. Some have said it is one of the earliest comic
strips in existence.

There are two prominent mysteries within the Bayeux Tapestry that puzzle scholars and
enthusiasts to this day.

The first concerns the death of King Harold II. In the scenes of Harold’s final battle there is a
figure of a man with an arrow in his eye that may be Harold. Or he may be the man killed by a
sword a bit later in the sequence. Or neither. Or both. The text stitched into that section of the
tapestry doesn’t clear up the enigma, so it is still debated exactly how the English king’s
death is depicted.

The second, and bigger, mystery concerns a bizarre and disturbing tableau appearing near
the middle of the tapestry. In it there is a figure of a woman in a robe and head covering and,
to her right, a man with a tonsure reaching out and coming into contact with the woman’s
face. To the right of the duo is a tall building that may be a church or a tower of some sort.
The incomplete caption, translated from the Latin, says “where a certain cleric and Aelfgyva."
These two figures have stumped scholars and experts for centuries. They do not appear
again in the tapestry. There is no “Aelfgyva” known to be associated with the military or royal
history of the time. In the margin above the pair are birds and in the bottom margin is a
dragon and a nude male figure. And what is the man in the picture doing? Striking the
woman? Caressing her cheek? Either of these would be questionable behavior by a cleric.

Bayeux T apestry scholar David M. Wilson states that the nude male under the duo may
indicate some kind of sexual interpretation to the pair’s image. Perhaps an illicit affair? A
rape? Some scandal that was well-known at the time but is now lost? There have been some
claims that the woman is Aelfgyfu, the wife of King Aethelred II. But because Aelfgyfu died
seventy years before the Norman invasions, Wilson calls such a connection “unconvincing.”
The bulk of the tapestry depict clearly identifiable battle scenes and activities of the two kings
and their armies. Why this pair pops up in the midst of soldiers and royalty is still a mystery.

The Bayuex Tapestry is critical for historical, political, and artistic reasons. And the mysteries
stitched into the fabric just add to the fascination.

Sources:

The Bayeux Tapestry, David M. Wilson

Musee de la Tapisserie de Bayeux website - pulled 5/5/1 1

“The Bayuex Tapestry” Medievalists.net- pulled 5/5/11

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The Book of Abramelin the Mage, Esoteric Grimoire of
Kabbalistic Knowledge

ancient-
origins. net

10 February, 2015 -11:16

Western esoteric thought has its roots in the
Late Antique period in the Eastern
Mediterranean. This was an area of the world
where east met west. Consequently, this was
also an area where the religions and
intellectual traditions of Babylon, Persia, Egypt,
the Levant and Greece were able to
intermingle with each other. Through the
mingling of these various traditions, schools of
esoteric thought distinct from mainstream
Christianity, such as Hermeticism, Gnosticism
and Neoplatonism, were born. Texts
expounding esoteric teaching were written, and these schools of thoughts spread westwards
into Europe. In the 14th and 15th centuries, an esoteric grimoire, known as The Book of
Abramelin the Mage was written.

Front cover of Mathers’ translation of The Book of Abramelin the
Mage.

The Book of Abramelin the Mage was written as an epistolary novel or
autobiography of a person known as Abraham of Worms. Abraham
was a German Jew believed to have lived between the 14th and 15th
centuries. The Book of Abramelin the Mage involves the passing of
Abraham’s magical and Kabbalistic knowledge to his son, Lamech,
and relates the story of how he first acquired such knowledge.

Abraham begins his narration with the death of his father, who gave
him ‘signs and instructions concerning the way in which it is necessary
to acquire the Holy Qabalah’ shortly before his death. Desiring to
acquire this wisdom, Abraham said he travelled to Mayence (Mainz) to study under a Rabbi,
called Moses, who was well-versed in such studies. Abraham studied under this Rabbi for
four years. Abraham commented in retrospect that the teachings of his previous Rabbi were
filled with errors, as they contained the ‘arts and superstitions of infidel and idolatrous
nations’. Feeling that he was wasting his time with the Rabbi, Abraham travelled for the next
six years of his life, eventually reaching Egypt.

Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus, contemporary of Moses.

It was in Egypt that Abraham met Abramelin the Mage, an Egyptian mage who was living in
the desert outside an Egyptian town called Arachi or Araki. His house was reported to be
situated on top of a hill which was surrounded by trees. Abramelin is described as a

Abramelin is said to have then taught Abraham his
Kabbalistic magic. Before that, however, Abraham was
required to promise to change his manner of life, give up
his false dogmas, and live in the Way and Law of the
Lord. Having obtained this promise from Abraham,
Abramelin then gave him two manuscripts to copy from.
Abramelin also asked Abraham for ten gold florins, so that he could distribute them to 72 poor
persons in the town. Leaving Abraham to copy the two manuscripts, Abramelin left to
distribute the money, returning only 15 days later. The next morning, it is written that
Abramelin instructed Abraham to make a ‘confession of his life onto the lord’, and to promise
to ‘serve and fear the lord’, as well as to ‘live and die in his most holy law’.

Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus, contemporary
of Moses

‘venerable aged man’, who was courteous and kind.
During Abraham’s stay with Abramelin, the mage spoke
of nothing other than the “Fear of God", urged Abraham
to lead a “well-regulated life”, warned about “certain
errors which man commits through human frailty”, and
made Abraham understand that he detested “the
acquisition of riches and goods ...through so severe
usury exacted from, and harm wrought to, our neighbor”.

It is through the two manuscripts that Abramelin passed his Kabbalistic knowledge to
Abraham, and forms a large section of The Book of Abramelin the Mage. One of the
highlights of this grimoire is an elaborate ritual known as the ‘Abramelin Operation’. The
proper performance of this ritual is said to enable a mage to gain the knowledge and
conversation’ of his/her guardian angel’. Furthermore, the ritual is said to also allow the mage
to blind demons. Another section of the grimoire is about ‘magic word squares’, in which each
square would contain words or names relating to the magical goal of the square.

The legacy of the writing is far reaching. Due to the English translation of The Book of
Abramelin the Mage by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, this system of Kabbalistic magic
became quite popular during the 19th and 20th centuries. Its popularity can be seen in its use
in occult organizations such as Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley’s
mystical system of Thelema.

Featured image: Hermes Trismegistus is the purported author of the Hermetic Corpus, a
series of sacred texts that are the basis of Hermeticism.

References

Lewis, A. A., 2014. The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. [Online]
Available at: http://national-paranormal-society.org/the-book-of-the-sacred-magic-of-
abramelin-the-mage/

Mastin, L., 2009. Famous Witches - Abramelin the Mage (15th Century). [Online]
Available at: http://www.witchcraftandwitches.com/witches_abramelin.html

www.sacred-texts.com, 2014. The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. [Online]
Available at: http://www.sacred-texts.com/grim/abr/

www.themystica.com, 2014. Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. [Online] Available at:
http://www.themystica.eom/mystica/articles/s/sacred_magic_of_abramelin_the_mage.html

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The Boy in the Box - Historic Mysteries

January 16, 2010

historicmysteries.com

Photo of the Boy in the Box

This wasn’t the first discovery of the boy. Two days prior, a
young man spotted the body when he was checking on his
muskrat traps in this rural area. Knowing his muskrat traps were
illegal, he decided against telling the police. It was only a few

days later that Benosis came across the body. He waited an additional day before contacting
the authorities because he was in the area spying on young women at the Good Shepherd
School and was worried about telling the police why he was there.

Known also as “America’s Unknown Child”, the “Boy in the Box”
murder has gone unsolved since the discovery of his body on
25 February 1957.

On that fateful day, an anxious college student, Frederick
Benosis, reported finding the nude body of what appeared to be
a young boy, 4 to 6 years old, wrapped in a flannel blanket
inside a discarded baby’s bassinet cardboard box distributed by
the JC Penny store.

Local media was fixated on this case. Pictures of the young boy were plastered everywhere,
including flyers and gas bills for the Philadelphia customers.

The boy’s identity has never been determined and the case has
yet to be solved. The boy was described as having blue eyes, fair
complexion and medium to light brown, crudely cut hair. His nails
were noted as being neatly trimmed. He had deep bruises
covering much of the his body and face and experts speculate that
due to the cold weather, the child may have been lying in that box
between 2-3 days to 2 to 3 weeks.

Initial thoughts were promising, as police were sure that someone
would report a missing child or that his photograph distributed
throughout the area would lead to the identity of the child and the
murderer. But this never occurred. Nobody reported a missing
child that fit his description and the thousands of leads produced

Photo of the unknown boy . ,

dressed in typical children's came to a dead end.
clothing. An attempt by detectives

to make him “more recognizable”. Investigators focused on the baby bassinet box that the boy was
found in. It was one of 12 sold by a JC Penny store in Upper Darby. All but one were traced
back to their owners. Even the boy’s fingerprints and footprints came up negative when they
were compared to a national database and local hospital records.

The Evidence

• The boys hair was crudely cut and located throughout his body, indicating it was cut
while he was deceased and naked or immediately before he died.

• His hands and feet were wrinkled indicating they were submerged in water for an
extended time just before or after he died.

• The child may have had a chronic eye ailment

• He had not eaten 2-3 hours before death.

• The faded cheap flannel blanket he was wrapped in was made in either North
Carolina or Quebec, Canada. It was also massed produced and shipped to multiple
locations.

• His esophagus contained a dark, brown residue, possibly indicating he vomited
shortly before death.

• He was severely malnourished.

• Cause of death was multiple blows to the head.

The boy was buried in a potters field next to Mechanicsville and Dunks Ferry Rd, the
tombstone simply read “Heavenly Father, Bless This Unknown Boy”. Eventually, the boy’s
body was exhumed in 1998 and mitochondrial DNA was extracted from his tooth. Efforts are
currently underway to link this child to a relative by scanning it through a database.

However, the mitochondrial DNA sequence is too small to produce a conclusive match with
anyone.

On 11 November 1998, the boy was reburied in a donated coffin at the Ivy Hill cemetery and
a website was launched to keep this boy’s memory alive and to help generate new leads.

The website is America’s Unknown Child.

The possibility of this 53 year old crime being solved is quickly vanishing. The case remains
open in name only. The police officers and investigators who tried to keep this case moving
forward are passing away, or too old to continue pursuing the occasional lead that comes
their way. Chances are that the individual or individuals who killed this young boy have since
died and will never face justice for their crime.

Experts agree that if this case occurred 10 or 20 years ago, the crime most likely would have
been solved. In 1957, police departments did not communicate or share information outside
of their local areas. Media coverage was also limited to the Pennsylvania/Delaware area. In
today’s age, this case would have been national news and the information pertaining to this
case would have been available to all city and federal law enforcement agencies.

However, hope still remains as Court TV, 48 Hours and America’s Most Wanted have
featured this case on recent episodes. Perhaps the lead everyone has been waiting for will
present itself.

Theories

• Frederick Benosis who was spying on young wayward girls was initially thought of as
a suspect, but he was questioned and cleared via a lie detector test.

• A foster home located about 1 .5 miles from the crime scene was the first location
police officers wanted to check. There were 8 foster children residing there at the time.

All the children located at the foster home were checked out and the family was ruled
out. Speculation still exists that Arthur Nicoletti, who ran this foster home, is somehow
involved. He refused to take a lie detector test and a psychic hired to assist in this
investigation led investigators directly to the foster home (without ever visiting the area
first).

• The strongest lead occurred in May 2002, when a businesswoman (known as “M”)
from Cincinnati, OH, claimed her mother purchased the boy from his parents in 1954.
They named the boy Jonathan. He was regularly abused and housed in the basement.
He was described as being handicapped and could not speak. “M” claimed her mother
killed him in February, 1957 in a fit of rage by throwing him down on the floor after he
vomited in the bathtub after eating baked beans. Investigators thought this was the
lead they were looking for to finally solve the case. However, after six months of
attempting to corroborate her story, it was determined that “M” had a history of mental
problems and none of the information she passed could be proven.

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The Caltech Sweepstakes Caper

hoaxes.org

Caltech student Becky Hartsfield shows off the prizes she won.

Caltech is known for producing world-class scientists and
engineers. But a few of its students have also demonstrated a
flair for the law, as a highly controversial 1 975 prank that turned
on the legalistic reading of a sweepstakes entry form proved.

The sweepstakes in question was held by McDonald’s. It ran
from March 3rd to March 23rd, 1975, at 187 participating
McDonald's restaurants in Southern California. The prizes
included a year of groceries, a Datsun Z, McDonald's gift
certificates, and cash. But one part of the contest rules caught
the attention of three Caltech students who lived in Page House — Steve Klein, Dave
Novikoff, and Barry Megdal. The part they noticed was the phrase "Enter as often as you
wish."

What if, the Caltech students wondered, a person entered the sweepstakes one million
times? Surely McDonald's would have to allow this. After all, it was McDonald's that wrote the
rule specifying contestants could enter as often as they wished. The only apparent restriction
was that all contestants had to fill out an official entry form — or a facsimile of an entry form.

Armed with this idea — that they were adhering to the legal letter of the rules — the three
students set out to inundate the contest with Caltech entries. They created a program on
Caltech's IBM mainframe computer (this was in the days before personal computers) that
churned out 1.2 million entry coupons printed with the names of Page House residents who
had agreed to participate in the scheme — twenty-six people altogether. Then they cut the
coupons into the requisite 3x5 inches at a print shop. Finally, on the last day of the contest,
the Page House residents stuffed all 1.2 million entries into the boxes at 98 different
McDonald's locations.

Controversy

The press, when it learned what had happened, criticized the pranksters. Instead of seeing a
group of intellectual rebels heroically subverting the rigid rules of a corporation, journalists
saw a group of over-educated upstarts cheating at a game. This negative perception only
deepened when one of the students involved in the plot commented that any money won
would be spent on "Parties. Lots of Parties."

McDonald's received hundreds of phone calls and letters from angry customers. In response,
it held a press conference on April 14 to explain what it planned to do. At this event a
McDonald's representative, Ron Lopaty, commented that, "The original intent of the
sweepstakes contest was to provide all McDonald's customers with over 1 ,850 chances to

win prizes best suited to lessen effects of the current economic slump." He then denounced
the Caltech stunt, calling it "in complete contradiction of the American standards of fairplay
and sportsmanship."

McDonald's revealed that it would honor the Caltech entries, in order to avoid legal action.

But it would also hold duplicate drawings in which it would exclude the Caltech entries, even
though it estimated this might double the cost of the sweepstakes.

The Caltech students issued a press release of their own in response to McDonald's
statements, in which they said, "We feel that by accepting the challenge to 'enter as often as
you wish,' we have acted in accordance with the best ideals of American sportsmanship." The
students also promised that any prizes they won would not be used for personal profit.

Instead, they would donate the bulk of their prize money to a charity and use the remainder to
make "living improvements" to their dorm.

Further controversy ensued when a group of San Fernando residents submitted a petition to
the State Attorney General's office protesting "The use of equipment at a state or federally
funded college, university or institution for the pursuit of personal interest, not to mention the
cheating of American consumers." However, a Caltech spokesman noted that Caltech is a
private institution, and that the computer center was not state or federally funded.

Only Burger King, McDonald's rival, seemed to appreciate the humor of the situation. In honor
of the pranksters, they offered free french fries to anyone who brought in a computer card to
a Burger King restaurant (many computers still used cards in the 70s).

Prizes

On May 20, McDonald's announced the results of the sweepstakes. 3.4 million entries had
been submitted, making it one of the most popular sweepstakes ever conducted in California
up until that time. Over a third of the entries were from Caltech students.

McDonald's awarded $50,000 worth of prizes. Caltech students won twenty percent of this
total, or $10,000 in prizes. The biggest winner among the Caltech students was Becky
Hartsfield, an 18-year-old coed who won a new Datsun station wagon and $3000 worth of
groceries.

The students expressed surprise they only won one-fifth of the prizes, even though they had
submitted one-third of the entries. Hartsfield commented, "Mathematically it's feasible, but it
seems like a low figure."

As the students had promised beforehand, they donated the car to the United Way. They
used some of the cash to pay off the tax debt as well as the computer and printing costs of
the stunt. They kept the gift certificates for themselves.

The Fallout

The 1975 sweepstakes caper was partially inspired by an attempt by Caltech students in
1969 to submit bulk entries to a Frito-Lay contest. However, the 1975 prank received far more
media attention. In fact, McDonald’s acknowledged that its contest received greater publicity
because of the Caltech stunt than it otherwise would have. Nevertheless, McDonald's was not
happy. It vowed it would make computer printouts invalid in future contests.

To this day, as a result of the Caltech stunt, the lawyers who write the rules for sweepstakes
make sure never to include the phrase "enter as often as you wish."

The Caltech students remained unrepentant. The only regret they expressed was at having
used a computer. As Steve Klein, one of the ringleaders of the stunt, explained, "We should
have used offset printing. It's cheaper. It cost us about $500 for the computer."

• Dave Swaim. (April 15, 1975). "McDonald's Gulps Caltech Caper." Star-News.

• "McDonald's Cries Foul: Caltech Computer KO's Contest." (April 16, 1975). Oakland
Tribune.

• "Computer Devours Big Mac." (May 21, 1975). The Fresno Bee.

• Dave Swaim. (May 21, 1975). "Ol' McDonald's Hath a Charm: When they give away
more than $50,000 worth of prizes." Star-News.

• "Students and Computer Win $10,000." (May 22, 1975). Oakland T ribune.

• Dodge, WA, Moulton, RB, Sigworth, HW, and Smith, AC. (1983). Legends of Caltech.
Caltech Alumni Association.

• Neil Steinberg. (1 992). If At All Possible Involve a Cow: The Book of College Pranks.
St. Martin's Press: 114-117.

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worldwarl .com

Alan S. Coulson, MD, PhD.
and Michael E. Hanlon, Website Editor

One of the abiding legends of the Great War is of an intercession by a heavenly agent -
allegedly observed by many soldiers — during the opening action at Mons, Belgium, part of
the larger action known as the Battle of the Frontiers in August 1914. In his book ANGELS A
TO Z Matthew Bunson recounts, 'One of the most famous episodes of angelic intervention,
[was] the supposedly widely reported descent of an angelic army in August 1914, which came
to the aid of the British forces against the Germans in Mons. . . The angelic host's assistance
could not have come at a more propitious moment as the British were being driven back by
the relentless German advance."

Bunson also relates one version supposedly corroborated by German prisoners describing a
force of phantoms armed with bows and arrows and led by a towering figure on a shining
white horse who spurred on English forces during an assault on German trenches. Another
story spoke of three angelic beings seen by the British, hovering in the air over German lines,

The other division of II Corps, the Fifth, also suffered
on the retreat. On the evening of the 23rd of August,
the 14th Brigade had fallen bark to Dour. The15th
Brigade was now exposed to a German flanking
movement and were only saved by the 2nd Cavalry
Brigade. Some hours later, the enemy pressure was
again heavy on their flank, and the 1 st Cheshires
and 1st Norfolks incurred heavy losses. The
Cheshires never got the order to pull back and were
surrounded. Only 193 out of 1007 men survived the
fighting. The Division's 13th Brigade halted at
Wasmes and was fiercely attacked by a German
vanguard at dawn. The 2nd West Riding Regiment
lost their commander, Colonel Gibbs, and almost all their officers. For the remainder of the
day and for the whole 25th of August, both divisions fell back with little fighting to Le Cateau

It was the intention of Commander-in-Chief French that the BEF occupy this position the next
day with - once again - I Corps on the right and II corps on the left. Almost disastrously,
though, the two corps became separated, losing communications.

To the east, Sir Douglas Haig's I Corps after the diversion of the 24th of August fell back to
the line Babai-Maubeuge by 7pm. On the 25th of August, he continued his retreat by the way
of Feignies to Vavesnes and Landrecies. The considerable forest of Mormal now intervened
between the two corps of the BEF. Than night Germans attacked, but without much success.
It was the Forest of Mormal that the last alleged sighting of an Angel occurred as reported by
Arch Whitehouse.

Lynn MacDonald's, 1914, includes one important account. During the retreat from Mons,
Captain Arthur Osbon of the 4th Dragoon Guards, a cavalry unit, was involved in intercepting
German cavalry coming from Valencielle. He thought that the threatening skies reminded him
of Milton’s description of legions of dark angels driven by St. Michael to the plains of Hell.. [O,
P9- 141]

Apprehensive Cavalrymen on the
Retreat

On the 26th of August, II Corps
Commander Smith-Dorrien, cut-off from
Haig's I Corps chose to fight a rear-guard
action at Le Cateau. (map 1.) In this lesser-
known struggle the exhausted soldiers of II
Corps again inflicted heavy casualties on
the German First Army and managed another narrow escape. Interestingly, Le Cateau has
never been associated with an angel or bowman siting. It would seem evocative that August

26th is the anniversary of the Battle of Crecy where honors of the field were won by English
bowmen, but no link has ever been made.

After winning some time at Le Cateau, the BEF was able to continue retreating to the River
Marne in fairly good order. There they would turn back to the north and play a part in one of
history's decisive events, the First Battle of the Marne..

Our survey of sources focusing on the Battle of Mons seems to have provided us with mixed
results. The course of the battle and the need for the BEF to withdraw before its more
numerous opponent seems clearly delineated, yet reliable reports of sightings of the Angel
remain elusive.

After reviewing every primary and secondary source we could find on the Battle of Monss, we
are left with these facts. There is no documented case single person or group of people
named as actually claiming to have made a sighting of benign heaven-sent agents during
either the Battle or Retreat from Mons. Captain Osbon's dramatic description of clouds
looking like legions of dark angels is neither inspiring nor friendly.'

Nevertheless, many respected modern-day historians (cited at the beginning of the article)
seem too have been seduced by the charm of the legend into treating folklore as established
fact. The secondhand retellings of the angelic sightings crumble under scrutiny. Bunson’s
account is pure hearsay and mentions the staving off of nonexistent disasters for retreating
English troops. The German prisoners' story references to a force of phantoms is very
suspect as the Germans did not have the trenches he cites, and the British were never on the
attack at Mons. Trevor Wilson whose account refers to 'all seeming lost' seems inaccurate
because this never occurred to the men fighting at that time; they thought they had done very
well and the morale was high despite the need to withdraw. Whitehouse's story of the Cold
Stream Guards at the Forest of Normal is unrecorded in any primary source or unit history.
Gilbert's description of the day dissolves on meteorological grounds. His description of mist
and rain lasting all day does not ring true as, in fact, there was sunshine after about 10am.

Yet could such a strongly held and broadly accepted legend be a 100% spontaneous
fabrication? Wouldn't it had to have had some origination? Mr. Holmes, at this point, would
probably tell us tiresomely that 'there is nothing more stimulating than a case where
everything goes against you.' Certainly, however, he would be as mystified as we are by the
absolute lack of firsthand evidence of either an angel or anything even vaguely supernatural
appearing during the Battle of Mons. But, let's not give up on the master yet -- where would
he turn next? Maybe our scope is too broad. Perhaps Holmes's dictum that there is 'nothing
so important as trifles' should guide us for awhile.

THE BOWMEN

Grudgingly, we must return to a theory espoused by several previous students of the Angel.
By breathtaking coincidence, concurrently with the battle, an English writer named Arthur

Machen wrote a short story (a trifle?) called The Bowmen It was a fictional description of a
phantom English army led by St. George marching from Agincourt in the dark days of 1914 to
relieve their modern counterparts on an unidentified battlefield.. The Bowmen' was published
in September 1914 in the LONDON EVENING NEWS. Arthur Machen was an author of mildly
supernatural stories and a sometime member of the mystical society, 'The Hermartic Order of
the Gordon Dawn'. Several parish magazines quickly sought permission to reprint the story.
From there, as Machen later wrote, 'The snowball of rumor was set rolling until it was swollen
to a monstrous size. ’ [R]

From this beginning, the story also appears to have been transformed into one which
described how archangels rather than medieval bowmen had come to the aid of the BEF.
Machen himself commented that if there was any substance to the story, it was unusual that
there were no admitted eyewitnesses who presented themselves. ." He also conjectured that
since, "In the popular view shining and benevolent supernatural beings are angels. . . I
believe, the Bowmen of my story have become 'the Angels of Mons'."

But if, as the only evidence seems to indicate, the legend's source is Mr. Machen's story, how
did a popular supernatural story from the homefront, spread and gain legitimacy amongst the
frontline troops overseas? Holmes would quickly see track the connections:

• A timely piece of mock-journalistic fiction appears to shed light on an recent anxiety
raising events in France.

• The story with true, but sketchy and censored reportage of the event are published in
a widely read newspaper.

• The stories true and fabulous are churned via word of mouth and start to unify, with
inconvenient details revised or deleted.

• A simplified version of events becomes the commonly held understanding

• It enters Army lore with the enlistees of Kitchener’s New Armies and

• Is taken to the front lines by the newly trained Troops.

Machen's rescuing bowmen, converted to Angels then reduced to the simple, singular Angel
of Mons, thus, moved from the homefront to the trenches and was sustained by both the
public in Britain and the frontline Tommies.

Source of the Angel Legend

Holmes would probably avoid speculating about the source of the emotional power the story
carried with individuals, impelling its ready acceptance and sustaining it through four years of
war and down to the present day.. He always preferred dispassionate logic. The present
authors, however, have access to some scientific and historical findings possibly not available
to Holmes or Conan Doyle.

That individuals under stress and group pressures become highly suggestible is a finding of
modern experimental psychology. Studies of such phenomena as the thought reform of
Chinese intellectuals by the Communists; outbreaks of mass hysteria and shared belief in
apparitions of Christ or crying Virgins by religious groups seem to verify this. That the
summer and fall of 1914 the whole populations of the combatants were suffering great
anxiety is clearly demonstrable.

Such processes effecting belief systems, of course, would work also more readily in a
population already inclined to believe in ghosts, spirits or angels. While it is not possible to
measure such predispositions among the Britons of 1914, their country has had a long history
of linking the heavenly and the military.

The Battle of Edgehill in 1642 during the English Civil War was followed by rumors of the
dead from the struggle rising from the earth before the eyes of the survivors. Afterwards, a
battle on Marston Moor reportedly featured a body of horsemen in the sky. Spirits reportedly
even made it to the New World and purportedly assaulted a British garrison there in 1692. In
the Eighteenth century there were heavenly sightings at Culloden and twice at a battlefield
called Souter Fell. It appears that the Angel of Mons is just the most recent manifestation of a
long legacy of apparitions on the battlefields of British armies.

Popular Depiction of the Angel

So what are we left with? As Holmes once told Watson, "It is of the
highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize out
of a number of facts which are incidental and which are vital." The
authors of this article must concur with Mr. Machen and several later
commentators on the Angel legend. The irreducible details about the
incident of the Angel of Mons seem to be that a small force of
regular soldiers representing a nation with an oral tradition of combat
success due to divine participation had a narrow escape against a
vastly more numerous opponent at Mons in August, 1914. . Shortly
afterwards, a fictional account of a similar battle, by a. certain Mr.
Arthur Machen, featuring spectral bowmen aiding the British troops
in staving off their advisories appears in the nation's newspapers. Under the stress of national
crisis fact and the supernatural were blended together in a myth — not a superstition, but a
part-factual, part-fictional explanation of disconcerting threat and reassurance that the danger
would pass. This myth was not tested scientifically; it was not analyzed: it was just accepted.
With an explanation of the narrow escape for the Tommies at Mons and a message of divine
protection against future defeat, it was exceedingly useful for maintaining the physic stability
of Britain's soldiers, citizens and leadership. Folklore, mythology and taboos all start out
having practical social use and only become quaint and silly when they have outlived this
usefulness.

A FINAL THOUGHT

And this brings us to the reason why the authors of this article felt this subject was important
enough to re-investigate. Today the Angel of Mons has been reduced to a curiosity -- but only
because it no longer serves the valuable function it had for the people Great Britain during
World War I. We believe, as with Lord Kitchener pointing out from his recruiting poster and
Harry Lauder singing of the pluckiness needed to get to The End of the Road that this story
helped carry the British Army and People through the disasters of Loos, the Somme and
Passchendaele. And in playing such a concrete role in British life the Angel of Monns
deserves a place in the record of the Great War.

SOURCES

A. Anon, The Operations of the British Army in the Present War. The Retreat from
Mons, Houghton, Boston, 1917.

B. Ascoli D., The Mons Star, Book Club Associates, London, 1982.

C. Atkinson C.T., The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1914-1919, Simpkin,
London, 1924.

D. Bunson M., Angels A to Z, Crown Trade Paperbacks, New York, 1996.

E. Corbett-Smith, A., The Retreat from Moris, Cassell & Co., London, 1916.

F. David D., The 1914 Campaign, Military Press, New York, 1987.

G. Doyle A.C., The British Campaign in France & Flanders 1914, Hodder & Stoughton,
London, 1916.

H. Edmonds J.E., History of the Great War. Military Operations. France and Belgium,
August- October 1914, McMillan & Co., London, 1925.

I. Ewing, J., The Royal Scots 1914 - 1919, Oliver & Boyd, London, 1925.

J. Falls C., Life of a Regiment Vol. IV. The Gordon Highlanders in the First World War
1914-1919, University Press, Aberdeen, 1958.

K. Flower N., The History of the Great War. Vol. I, Waverley Book Co., London, no date.

L. Gilbert M., The First World War, Holt & Co., New York, 1994.

M. Haythornthwaite P., The World War I Sourcebook, Arms & Armour, London, 1983.

N. Illustrated War News, The Illustrated London News & Sketch, London, 1914.

O. MacDonald L., 1914, Atheneum, New York, 1988.

P. MacDonald L. 1914-1918 Voices & Images of the Great War, Joseph. London, 1988.

Q. Machen A., The Bowmen, in the Evening News, London, September 29, 1914.

R. Machen A., The Angel of Mons: The Bowmen and Other Legends of the War, London,
1915, PP 5,7.

S. Molony C.V., 'Invicta' With the 1st Battalion the Queen's Own Royal West Kent
Regiment in the Great War, Nisbet & Co., London, 1923.

T. O'Neill H.C., The Royal Fusiliers in the Great War, Heinemann, London, 1922.

U. Raleigh W., The War in the Air. Vol. I, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1922.

V. Ross of Bladenburg, The Coldstream Guards Vol. I, Oxford University Press, London,
1928.

W. The Times History of the War, The Times, London, 1914.

X. Whalley-Kelly H., 'Ich Dien,' The Prince of Wales's Volunteers. (South Lancashire),

Gale & Polden, Aldershot, 1935.

Y. Whitehouse A., Heroes and Legends of World War One, Doubleday & Co., New York,
1964.

Z. Wilson T., The Myriad Faces of War, Polity Press, Cambridge, 1986.

AA. Wyrral E., The Die-Hards in the Great War Vol. 1 1914-1916, Harrison & Sons, London
1926.

The authors previously collaborated on the article: War and the First Century of Heart
Surgery, which appeared in RELEVANCE: THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE GREAT
WAR SOCIETY [Winter, 1997] and can be viewed on line. .The photos used are from the
collections of Mike lavarone and Alan Coulson.

Additions and comments on these pages may be directed to: Michael E. Hanlon
(medwardh@hotmail.com) regarding content, or to Mike lavarone (mikei01@execpc.com)
regarding form and function. Original artwork & copy; © 1998-2000, TGWS.

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providing a source of deep inspiration for them. Aside from these beings, Bunson states that
soldiers later claimed to have seen St. Michael the Archangel, the Virgin Mary, even Joan of
Arc. [D See reference list at end of article.]

Present day writer Philip Haythornthwaite gives a curious example of the story's lasting
power. An employee of his grandfather, a veteran of Mons, became convinced that he had
seen the angel. He had recounted that before this he had been a hard drinker. After, he
apparently became not only a teetotaler but a pillar of the community. [M]

None of these eyewitnesses, however, who later asserted having
viewed the Angel came forward in 1914 and had his name recorded in
any log or document. British Army veterans who later told of seeing the
Angel were suspect.. Few who fought at Mons survived the war. Most
of the "Old Contemptibles", the regulars who fought in the early actions
of the Great War, were killed off early.

It would be expected that if some dramatic event had occurred and the
men of a particular battalion or company had seen something unusual
around Mons, it would be would be mentioned somewhere. In the
histories of the regiments most seriously involved in the fighting there is
no mention of any events that could be construed as a distraction or an
intervention in the fighting. The Units that suffered most heavily on the
23rd, the 4th Royal Fusiliers and the 4th Middlesex did not record any peculiar events
whatsoever. Nor did such regiments active in the battle or retreat such as the West Kents and
the 2nd Scots Borderers chronicle anything but the brutal combat.

Nevertheless, the Angel did leave a trail. The contemporary diaries and letters of many sane,
sober people show that by 1915, in something of a focusing of national collective
consciousness, the British had accepted that a supernatural event had taken place at Mons.

In the consensus version, the nature of the apparition was angelic rather than, say, saintly or
ghostly. Henceforth, Tommy Atkins and his family on the homefront believed in a somewhat
standardized legend of the Angel of Mons whose timely appearance showed the Lord’s
sanction and active support for the opponents of the Kaiser’s legions — at least the British
opponents.

Furthermore, military historians who have
studied Mons have enthusiastically
incorporated the legend of the Angel of
Mons into their writings up to the present
day. Trevor Wilson and Martin Gilbert
mention the apparition in their recent
works. Daniel David in his bock, THE 1914
CAMPAIGN reports that "Some
beleaguered soldiers reported being
rescued by angels and ghostly bowmen."

Arch Whitehouse in an earlier book, HEROES AND LEGENDS OF WORLD WAR I. states
that after the battle on what is known as the Retreat from Mons some Coldstream Guards
being the last to withdraw, got lost in the area of the Mormal Forest and had dug-in to make
a. last stand. Whitehouse reports an angel then appeared as a dimly outlined female figure.
She was tall and slim, wearing a white flowing gown. The Guardsmen followed the glowing
figure across an open field to a hidden, sunken road which enabled them to escape. [F,L,Y,Z]

Present day students of the First World War can be excused for scratching their heads in
wonder as to what really transpired on those hot August days in 1914 to beget a fragment of
folklore that won so many adherents and has had such staying power. Either something
unusual happened during the battle or in the subsequent retreat or, as some theorize, the
Angel legend has a source away from the battlefield.. The Angel of Mons remains elusive.
Eighty years of historical and scientific investigation have left a situation where many
reputable sources point to events at Mons, while others treat the Angel a phenomenon
created on the homefront. The present authors concluded that to avoid falling in to past traps,
a new approach was needed to sort through the evidence, but how could we proceed in a
way both systematic and logical given our subject was a spiritual entity?

Interestingly, one historian of Mons who remained
oblivious to any angelic participation in the battle
was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. His alter-ego, the
master consulting detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes,
seems to have shared his creator's blind spot for
airborne beings, once having declared: "I have
investigated many crimes, but I have never yet
seen one which was committed by a flying
creature!" Nevertheless, as all Baker Street
irregulars know, Holmes craved new challenges --
problems contrary to conventional wisdom or
incongruent with his vast store facts and observations. Holmes once confidently stated, The
more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be.'

Inspired by this irresistible Conan Doyle / Holmes connection to Mons, the present authors
decided to see if Holmes's universally respected methodology could help guide a more
thorough search for the Elusive Angel of Mons. Certainly some of Holmes's key maxims
provide a sound footing on which to build any research effort: The present authors will try to
follow these guidelines:

I. "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist
facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts. . .

II. "There is no branch of detective science which is so important and so neglected as
the art of tracing footsteps.. . .

III. "One should always look for a possible alternative and provide against it. It is the first
rule. . .

IV. "...Watson you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from what you see."

First, we will survey the closest thing to first hand sources, the published sources which focus
primarily on the Battle of Mons, to learn what actually happened there while keeping alert for
firsthand facts or subtle clues about any unusual sightings or events . . .

WHY MONS?

The bitter struggle at Mons was unintended. The British Expeditionary Force [BEF] went into
Belgium to provide an extension on the left [westerly] flank for the opening French offensive
plan of World War I, Plan XVII, a unique monument to military arrogance and stupidity.
Concurrently. French armies had advanced over the Belgian frontiers to secure the River
Sambre. It was in fulfilling its part as the left anchor of the Allied line that British troops had
begun to move north towards Belgium on August 18th and 19th of 1914.

It was believed then that the German forces would be approaching from the northeast and the
main attack was expected to the Allied line through the Ardennes -- the correct solution for
1940, but not 1914. Under Plan XVII the intention was to deploy the British forces on the
extreme left facing northeast along the line Binche-Lens, situated eight miles north of Mons
(map 1.) The German center of gravity, however, was much further west than France's
supreme commander, Joseph Joffre or BEF Commander Sir John French had anticipated.

On August 21st the French 5th Army encountered the enemy just to the east of Namur and
Charleroi where the Germans were attempting to cross the Sambre. Subsequently, in the
course of the afternoon of the 22nd of August, the Royal Flying Corps made reconnaissance
flights toward Charleroi (map 1.) and ascertained that the French center had been driven
back.

On the evening of the 22nd, Sir John French held a conference at Le Cateau, and he
subsequently announced the anticipated British offensive would not take place. Instead, he
agreed to form a position on the Mons-Conde canal (map 2.) for 24 hours as a delaying tactic
tactic. [H, p.59]

THE BATTLEFIELD

Mons lies in the center of an industrial mining area, and in fact, was the center of coal mining
in Belgium. The Mons-Conde Canal runs southwest from the River Sambre toward the River

Scheldt (map 2.) The ground on which the British Army took up its position was a narrow coal
field 2 miles wide which extended 20 miles along the canal from a point 6 miles east of Mons
to a point 14 miles west. For a mile on either side of the canal, the ground is swampy, and
intersected by a network of artificial water courses and is checkered by osier beds. South of
the canal and marsh area was a confusion of mining villages built over the coal field. These
villages contained endless cobbled roads, broken pit heads, deep ditches and colossal slag
heaps, some of them over 100 feet high.

The Mons-Conde Canal loops north around
the village of Nimy (map 3.) and is crossed by
three road bridges and one railroad bridge.
This salient was a key area. At its southern
base, the ground rises with two hills and a
small wood, the Bois la Haut. North of the
canal, particularly near the bridges over the
canal in the salient, low woods coming down
to within 300 to 400 yards of the canal would
provide cover to the approaching Germans. (J, pg 31 )

The Mons-Conde Canal

THE OPPOSING FORCES

The BEF that halted on August 23 was composed of two corps of two divisions each and a 5-
brigade cavalry contingent, totaling about 70,000 effectives. Their deployment transpired in
apparent ignorance of the true nature of the flawed, but breathtakingly daring opposing
strategy known as the Schleiffen Plan. The German Army had long prepared a gigantic seven
army wheeling movement through Belgium and France that would roll up their opposition
from the west. The British Regulars,, half entrenched in a. weak position would be eventually
faced by 240,000 men from the 1st German Army, coming primarily, not from the northeast,
but the northwest. They were lucky that German First Army Commander General Alexander
von Kluck was equally in ignorance of the strength and location of his opposition.

DISPOSITIONS

The BEF was isolated and had no sort of strategic defensive position. With II Corps on the left
of I Corps, the BEF deployed roughly from just west of Mons east to Binche. (map 2.) Later
the eastern limit of the line was contracted to Bray, leaving the BEF some nine miles from the
left flank of the nearest French unit. Tactically, the units were scattered along a defensible
straggle of mining villages, water courses, and osier beds with some fields of fire restricted.
The loop on the Mons-Conde Canal would first prove a hornets' nest for the Germans
attacking it and, later, a veritable death trap for British forces trying to escape. [B]

Smith Dorrien's II Corps stationed in the Nimy Peninsula would bear the heaviest burden at
Mons, specifically, the 6th and 9th brigades of his Third Division. We will focus on their
operations, since their plight was most dire and needful of divine assistance. The line of II
Corps was so thin that it was little better than an outpost line, a chain of small groups lying on
the coal bank, almost invisible. From left to right this most pressed part of the British line
would be held by the 4th Royal Fusiliers (9th Brig.), the 4th Middles, the 2nd Royal Irish and
the 1st Gordon Highlanders (all 8th Brig.) In the westerly section the Royal Fusiliers held the
Nimy Bridge, the railway bridge and positions about Lock 6 and the Ghlin-Mons Bridges.

(map 3.) The Gordon Highlanders to the far right were entrenched on the eastern slope of
Bois la Haut. Officers of all the battalions were on every elevation, peering north and east
through glasses, looking for the first sign of the enemy.

1ST CONTACT

British Cavalry Scouting for the Enemy

The mounted troops of both armies were astir early.
British Dragoons reconnoitering east of Mons soon
encountered small parties of the enemy. The Germans
i were completing a grand wheel in from the northeast
The wave of Von Kluck's army was soon rolling around
the Mons pocket. Before 9am. German guns were in
position on the high ground north of the canal, and
shells began bursting thickly along the line where
battalions of the Middlesex (8th Brig.) and Royal Fusiliers (9th Brig.) met. By 9am the German
infantry was pressing on to engage the Middlesex about the village of Ubourg and was fully
engaged by 10am. Shortly afterwards, the machine gun section of the Royal Irish (8th Brig.)
joined the Middlesex to lend support.

Meanwhile, the Royal Fusiliers were continuously shooting down enemy assault troops. What
transpired now is a big part of the non-supernatural legend of Mons. The Germans were
coming in swarms, like grey clouds drifting over green fields. They broke out of the woods
and came rapidly towards the entrenched British, advancing in what has been described as a
medieval "20-acre formation". They were moving against the best riflemen in Europe who
were firing 15 rounds a minute. The massed, independent fire from the British position at 800
to 1000 yards had a devastating effect on the German forces. Here they were turned back.

As the southward wheel of Von Kluck's army progressed, however, the wave of the attack
gradually spread westward, breaking briefly along the line of the canal. By 11am III German
Corps on the right of the unit attacking the Nimy Peninsula came up against the Bridge of
Jenappes two miles west of Mon. (map 2.) The BEF was getting surrounded.

Moments Before the Start of Battle

Before our description of the action reaches
the crisis point, we return briefly to our other
objective of searching the record for clues of
odd or transcendental happenings. Where
there any special influences which may have
effected events at Mons this hot August
day? Were there cloud formations shaped
like angels that day? Were airships or
aircraft of peculiar design floating about?
Were odd behaviors or other baffling events
observed among the troops on August 23rd? Let us see.

THE WEATHER

The morning of the 23rd of August started out with mist and rain, but this cleared around
10am to fair weather with a prevailing westerly wind. Conan Doyle [as historian] describes a
warm August sun later in the day, and Ascoli, a stifling August heat and hot sunshine. There
is no mention in any of the texts of any unusual cloud formations.

AIRCRAFT

The British Flying Corps was flying over and behind the battlefield looking for enemy
movements and locating enemy batteries [U, pg 304], There were likely many flights by
British and German planes over and around the battlefield. It could be anticipated the
regulars who composed the BEF would be somewhat familiar with military aircraft and would
not be likely to confuse airplanes or their vapor trails with ethereal apparitions. Further, at Le
Cateau three days later, British officers [U, pg 314) described how "the sight of our airplanes
above them raised the hopes of the troops and gave them a feeling of security". It is appears
doubtful, therefore, whether any powered aircraft at Mons could have been confused with
angels. Once it got dark, though, the Germans used an airship with search lights [K, pg 216]

It is conceivable that this could have been confused with an angelic host, but none of the later
alleged sightings, mention a nighttime event.

RELIGIOUS THEMES

As at nearby Waterloo 99 years earlier, August 23rd was a Sunday. Could there have been a
suggestion of forthcoming help at a chapel service that morning? Church bells were ringing
early and the inhabitants of the villages near the canal were seen in their best attire going to
worship. But not one of the British official or unit histories records any type of worshipping by
the troops at Mons. There is much detail about what they ate, where they slept, and how they
were dressed, but there is no mention whatsoever in any of the books of any type of worship
during the day. Without any chapel services, it is difficult to maintain that an idea of an angel
may have been planted earlier in the day.

THE SOLDIERS' FRAME OF MIND

Conan Doyle also notes that the men appeared to
be in excellent spirits, singing from one end of the
line to the other. They dug fairly shallow rifle pits,
more like fox holes of later wars than the trenches
of the Great War. . The shallowness of the pits is
notable only because later in the war when
trenches were deeper than a normal man's
height, "sky watching" was a major pastime of
men who could see little else of the outside world.
At Mons, however, this pastime likely had not developed yet. Besides, fast action was soon
occupying the troops attention.

At Rest in Mons, August 22, 1914

Morale stayed generally high as action unfolded. The perception by the fighting men was that
they were more than holding their own. They were inflicting heavy losses on the much-
vaunted Germans and were, at least initially, driving them back. Lynn MacDonald in her book
1914 (O, pg 104) stated, "The Tommies, outnumbered by more than 3 to 1, had not merely
thwarted the Germans — they had slaughtered them. Both sides fought like lions; both sides
were exhausted". Later, the battlefield was seen to be littered with the German dead and
wounded. Ross of Blandenburg describes the men as being "jubilant" (V, pg 33), and when
they were later ordered to retreat, they were "much disappointed".

Not finding any hard clues about matters supernatural due to any of these factors, let us
return to the middle of the action and review the remainder of the battle and the famous
'Retreat from Mons'.

HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE SALIENT

The bridges leading into the Salient would eventually provide an easy passage for the
German invaders allowing them with their greater numbers to swamp the British position. At
5:30am on the morning of the 23rd, corps and cavalry division commanders had met with
General French and orders were issued for the bridges over the canal to be prepared for
demolition. Later, destruction was to be successfully completed for only a few bridges. In an
early action the West Kents (5th Div; 13th Brig.) lost 2 officers and 100 men as its Company
covering the northerly access to the bridges was driven back.

The 4th Royal Fusiliers guarding south end of the Nimy Railroad Bridge were assaulted early,
held off for nearly five hours, but eventually saw their position eroded. The Germans
ultimately succeeded in taking all the remaining bridges into the Salient, and the Middlesex

and Gordons of the 8th Brigade on the right had to retire. Along with the Royal Irish and
Royal Scots, they fell steadily back, fighting every yard of the way. The Germans were
shaken but still came on. By 5pm, according to MacDonald, they were trickling into the streets
of Mons. British soldiers were doing their best to leave. General Doran's 8th Brigade was able
to keep hold on Bois la Haut until after nightfall. (F, pg. 103)

THE SITUATION DETERIORATES FURTHER

At 5pm a telegram was received from General Joffre confirming what the British were
learning firsthand, that the original estimate of German forces had been grossly low. There
were not only four German corps totaling 200,000 men ahead of them, but 40,000 more
troops approaching around their left flank from Tournai.

A second piece of bad news was that the Germans had burst through the line on the River
Sambre so the French armies on the British right were in full retreat. The BEF was on its own
and would have to fall back. In the early morning of the 24th of August. French gave orders to
retire to corps commanders.

Up to that point, British casualties were between 3000 and 4000 men, particularly in the 8th,
9th and 13th brigades. It was estimated that Germans had lost between 7,000 and 10,000
men in the fighting. The 4th Middlesex, one of the units catching the brunt of the German
attack lost 350 men.

That same day, Sir John French gave instructions for I Corps to feign an offensive in the
direction of Binche in order to take the pressure off II Corps so they could disengage. In
withdrawing, Hamilton's 3rd Division, including the 7th, 8th and 9th Brigades once again
sustained the most severe losses, especially at Frameries, four miles south of Mons. (map 2.)
The 2nd Royal Scots of the 8th Brigade were later attacked by a heavy German column but
succeeded in driving the enemy back. During the first full day of the retreat the 7th Brigade
(3rd Div.) held positions near Ciply and later Babai They lost several hundred men to heavy
fire from the German machine guns positioned on slag heaps. Eventually, all the brigades of
the Third Division made their way 30 miles south to the west of the town of Le Cateau. (map
1 .)

Artillery Unit Retreating from Mons

historicmysteries.com

The Chicago Tylenol Murders - Historic Mysteries

June 29,2012

Extra Strength Tylenol and Tylenol
PM

On the morning of September 29, 1982, a twelve-year-old girl
went into her parents’ room in their Elk Grove Village home. She
was sick and seeking comfort. Her parents gave her Tylenol
Extra -Strength capsules to relieve her symptoms. Shortly after,
they found her collapsed on the bathroom floor. She was taken to the hospital where she was
pronounced dead. Her name was Mary Kellerman. Her parents and doctors did not know it
yet, but she had been murdered.

On September 29, 1982, it became quickly apparent that
something in Tylenol was killing people in the Chicago area. By
the end of it, seven people had died, a massive investigation
had been launched by the companies responsible for
manufacturing the product, the FBI and the FDA. Later, copycat
murders would intermittently cause panic. The Chicago Tylenol
Murders set a precedent for safe packaging and response to
malicious consumer tampering. However, it never led to justice.
The person responsible for seven deaths in the Chicago area in
1982 was never caught.

Later that day, a 27-year-old man became ill and was having trouble breathing. Paramedics
brought him to the hospital from his Arlington Heights home and he died shortly thereafter.
Sadly, that would not be the end for Adam Janus’ family that day. When they gathered at his
home to grieve later, his younger brother and his little brother’s even younger wife came
down with headaches. They each took a Tylenol Extra-Strength capsule from a bottle found
in the kitchen. Little did they know, it was the same bottle from which the deceased had
sought relief earlier that day.

Very soon after the two took the Tylenol, they were rushed to the hospital. Stanley Janus died
quickly. His wife was ill for two days before she also expired. Before these two deaths, the
deaths of Mary and Adam were attributed to natural causes pending autopsy. Due to the
diligence of the responding firefighters and paramedics, it was discovered that all four victims
had taken Tylenol. The bottles were taken in for testing. At the same time, medical
professionals began to suspect cyanide and blood tests were done on the victims. Their fears
proved founded.

It turned out that the capsules were not filled with Tylenol at all. They were filled with 65
milligrams of potassium cyanide. 1/10, 000th of that would kill most people. Cyanide was
found in the blood of the victims, confirming that they had ingested tainted tablets. There was
a murderer on the loose. Johnson & Johnson was informed of the issue. A massive recall
was issued. Police went around the entire area informing people to get rid of their Tylenol.
The manufacturers went to work with authorities to find out where the cyanide came from.

Before the recall was able to protect the public, 27-year-old Mary Reiner, 35-year-old Paula

Prince and 35-year-old Mary McFarland took the capsules and died. There was no surviving
it. No one who took the capsules could have lived. Without the recall, many more could have
died, given that a total of eight bottles with from three to ten tainted capsules in them were
found in seven stores after each bottle in the vicinity was tested.

The investigation proved that the manufacturers were not responsible, nor would any of their
employees responsible for tampering on the site. The bottles were tampered with after they
left the manufacturer. Someone emptied out the capsules, filled them with cyanide and then
placed them on the shelves. A manhunt began, but there were very few suspects, none of
whom were linked to the murders by evidence. All authorities knew about the murderer is that
he or she was likely living in the area or visiting and that he or she owned or had access to a
vehicle. That is very little to go on.

To this day, the Tylenol Murderer has not been found. He or she may have gone on to kill
more. Enough copycat murders have taken place to support the idea that he or she continued
killing. Other copycats have been found and other products have since been used. Cyanide is
the most popular method of killing via consumer tampering. Because of this, there are new
packaging standards on all medication in the United States.

Sources

Bell, Rachael, The Tylenol Terrorist, retrieved

6/29/12, trutv.com/library/crime/terrorists_spies/terrorists/tylenol_murders/index.html

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The Children Who Went Up In Smoke

smithsonianmag.com

For nearly four decades, anyone driving down
Route 16 near Fayetteville, West Virginia,
could see a billboard bearing the grainy
images of five children, all dark-haired and
solemn-eyed, their names and ages —
Maurice, 14; Martha 12; Louis, 9; Jennie, 8;
Betty, 5 — stenciled beneath, along with
speculation about what happened to them.
Fayetteville was and is a small town, with a
main street that doesn’t run longer than a
hundred yards, and rumors always played a
larger role in the case than evidence; no one
even agreed on whether the children were
dead or alive. What everyone knew for certain
was this: On the night before Christmas 1945,
George and Jennie Sodder and nine of their
10 children went to sleep (one son was away
in the Army). Around 1 a.m., a fire broke out.
George and Jennie and four of their children
escaped, but the other five were never seen
again.

George had tried to save them, breaking a
window to re-enter the house, slicing a swath
of skin from his arm. He could see nothing through the smoke and fire, which had swept
through all of the downstairs rooms: living and dining room, kitchen, office, and his and
Jennie’s bedroom. He took frantic stock of what he knew: 2-year-old Sylvia, whose crib was
in their bedroom, was safe outside, as was 17-year-old Marion and two sons, 23-year-old
John and 16-year-old George Jr., who had fled the upstairs bedroom they shared, singeing
their hair on the way out. He figured Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie and Betty still had to be
up there, cowering in two bedrooms on either end of the hallway, separated by a staircase
that was now engulfed in flames.

He raced back outside, hoping to reach them through the upstairs windows, but the ladder he
always kept propped against the house was strangely missing. An idea struck: He would
drive one of his two coal trucks up to the house and climb atop it to reach the windows. But
even though they’d functioned perfectly the day before, neither would start now. He
ransacked his mind for another option. He tried to scoop water from a rain barrel but found it
frozen solid. Five of his children were stuck somewhere inside those great, whipping ropes of
smoke. He didn't notice that his arm was slick with blood, that his voice hurt from screaming
their names.

His daughter Marion sprinted to a neighbor’s home to call the Fayetteville Fire Department

but couldn’t get any operator response. A neighbor who saw the blaze made a call from a
nearby tavern, but again no operator responded. Exasperated, the neighbor drove into town
and tracked down Fire Chief F.J. Morris, who initiated Fayetteville’s version of a fire alarm: a
“phone tree” system whereby one firefighter phoned another, who phoned another. The fire
department was only two and a half miles away but the crew didn’t arrive until 8 a.m., by
which point the Sodders’ home had been reduced to a smoking pile of ash.

George and Jeannie assumed that five of their children were dead, but a brief search of the
grounds on Christmas Day turned up no trace of remains. Chief Morris suggested that the
blaze had been hot enough to completely cremate the bodies. A state police inspector
combed the rubble and attributed the fire to faulty wiring. George covered the basement with
five feet of dirt, intending to preserve the site as a memorial. The coroner’s office issued five
death certificates just before the new year, attributing the causes to “fire or suffocation.”

But the Sodders had begun to wonder if their children were still alive.

George Sodderwas born Giorgio Soddu in Tula, Sardinia in 1895, and immigrated to the
United States in 1908, when he was 13. An older brother who had accompanied him to Ellis
Island immediately returned to Italy, leaving George on his own. He found work on the
Pennsylvania railroads, carrying water and supplies to the laborers, and after a few years
moved to Smithers, West Virginia. Smart and ambitious, he first worked as a driver and then
launched his own trucking company, hauling dirt for construction and later freight and coal.
One day he walked into a local store called the Music Box and met the owners’ daughter,
Jennie Cipriani, who had come over from Italy when she was 3.

They married and had 10 children between 1923 and 1943, and settled in Fayetteville, West
Virginia, an Appalachian town with a small but active Italian immigrant community. The
Sodders were, said one county magistrate, “one of the most respected middle-class families

around." George held strong opinions about everything from business to current events and
politics, but was, for some reason, reticent to talk about his youth. He never explained what
had happened back in Italy to make him want to leave.

The Sodders planted flowers across the space where their house had stood and began to
stitch together a series of odd moments leading up to the fire. There was a stranger who
appeared at the home a few months earlier, back in the fall, asking about hauling work. He
meandered to the back of the house, pointed to two separate fuse boxes, and said, “This is
going to cause a fire someday." Strange, George thought, especially since he had just had
the wiring checked by the local power company, which pronounced it in fine condition. Around
the same time, another man tried to sell the family life insurance and became irate when
George declined. “Your goddamn house is going up in smoke," he warned, “and your children
are going to be destroyed. You are going to be paid for the dirty remarks you have been
making about Mussolini.” George was indeed outspoken about his dislike for the Italian
dictator, occasionally engaging in heated arguments with other members of Fayetteville’s
Italian community, and at the time didn’t take the man’s threats seriously. The older Sodder
sons also recalled something peculiar: Just before Christmas, they noticed a man parked
along U.S. Highway 21, intently watching the younger kids as they came home from school.

Around 12:30 Christmas morning, after the children had opened a few presents and everyone
had gone to sleep, the shrill ring of the telephone broke the quiet. Jennie rushed to answer it.
An unfamiliar female voice asked for an unfamiliar name. There was raucous laughter and
glasses clinking in the background. Jennie said, “You have the wrong number,” and hung up.
Tiptoeing back to bed, she noticed that all of the downstairs lights were still on and the
curtains open. The front door was unlocked. She saw Marion asleep on the sofa in the living
room and assumed that the other kids were upstairs in bed. She turned out the lights, closed
the curtains, locked the door and returned to her room. She had just begun to doze when she
heard one sharp, loud bang on the roof, and then a rolling noise. An hour later she was
roused once again, this time by heavy smoke curling into her room.

Jennie couldn’t understand how five children could perish in
a fire and leave no bones, no flesh, nothing. She conducted a
private experiment, burning animal bones — chicken bones,
beef joints, pork chop bones — to see if the fire consumed
them. Each time she was left with a heap of charred bones.
She knew that remnants of various household appliances
had been found in the burned-out basement, still identifiable.
An employee at a crematorium informed her that bones
remain after bodies are burned for two hours at 2,000
degrees. Their house was destroyed in 45 minutes.

The collection of odd moments grew. A telephone repair man
told the Sodders that their lines appeared to have been cut,
not burned. They realized that if the fire had been electrical —

the result of “faulty wiring," as the official reported stated —
then the power would have been dead, so how to explain the
lighted downstairs rooms? A witness came forward claiming
he saw a man at the fire scene taking a block and tackle
used for removing car engines; could he be the reason
George’s trucks refused to start? One day, while the family
was visiting the site, Sylvia found a hard rubber object in the
yard. Jennie recalled hearing the hard thud on the roof, the rolling sound. George concluded
it was a napalm “pineapple bomb” of the type used in warfare.

Then came the reports of sightings. A woman claimed to have seen the missing children
peering from a passing car while the fire was in progress. A woman operating a tourist stop
between Fayetteville and Charleston, some 50 miles west, said she saw the children the
morning after the fire. “I served them breakfast,” she told police. “There was a car with Florida
license plates at the tourist court, too.” A woman at a Charleston hotel saw the children’s
photos in a newspaper and said she had seen four of the five a week after the fire. “The
children were accompanied by two women and two men, all of Italian extraction," she said in
a statement. “I do not remember the exact date. However, the entire party did register at the
hotel and stayed in a large room with several beds. They registered about midnight. I tried to
talk to the children in a friendly manner, but the men appeared hostile and refused to allow
me to talk to these children.... One of the men looked at me in a hostile manner; he turned
around and began talking rapidly in Italian. Immediately, the whole party stopped talking to
me. I sensed that I was being frozen out and so I said nothing more. They left early the next
morning.”

In 1947, George and Jennie sent a letter about the case to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and received a reply from J. Edgar Hoover: “Although I would like to be of
service, the matter related appears to be of local character and does not come within the
investigative jurisdiction of this bureau.” Hoover's agents said they would assist if they could
get permission from the local authorities, but the Fayetteville police and fire departments
declined the offer.

Next the Sodders turned to a private investigator named C.C. Tinsley, who discovered that
the insurance salesman who had threatened George was a member of the coroner’s jury that
deemed the fire accidental. He also heard a curious story from a Fayetteville minister about
F.J. Morris, the fire chief. Although Morris had claimed no remains were found, he supposedly
confided that he’d discovered “a heart” in the ashes. He hid it inside a dynamite box and
buried it at the scene.

Tinsley persuaded Morris to show them the spot. Together they dug up the box and took it
straight to a local funeral director, who poked and prodded the “heart” and concluded it was
beef liver, untouched by the fire. Soon afterward, the Sodders heard rumors that the fire chief
had told others that the contents of the box had not been found in the fire at all, that he had
buried the beef liver in the rubble in the hope that finding any remains would placate the
family enough to stop the investigation.

Over the next few years the tips and leads continued to come. George saw a newspaper
photo of schoolchildren in New York City and was convinced that one of them was his
daughter Betty. He drove to Manhattan in search of the child, but her parents refused to
speak to him. In August 1949, the Sodders decided to mount a new search at the fire scene
and brought in a Washington, D.C. pathologist named Oscar B. Hunter. The excavation was
thorough, uncovering several small objects: damaged coins, a partly burned dictionary and
several shards of vertebrae. Hunter sent the bones to the Smithsonian Institution, which
issued the following report:

The human bones consist of four lumbar vertebrae belonging to one individual. Since the
transverse recesses are fused, the age of this individual at death should have been 16 or 17
years. The top limit of age should be about 22 since the centra, which normally fuse at 23,
are still unfused. On this basis, the bones show greater skeletal maturation than one would
expect for a 14-year-old boy (the oldest missing Sodder child). It is however possible,
although not probable, fora boy 14 % years old to show 16-17 maturation.

The vertebrae showed no evidence that they had been exposed to fire, the report said, and “it
is very strange that no other bones were found in the allegedly careful evacuation of the
basement of the house." Noting that the house reportedly burned for only about half an hour
or so, it said that “one would expect to find the full skeletons of the five children, rather than
only four vertebrae." The bones, the report concluded, were most likely in the supply of dirt
George used to fill in the basement to create the memorial for his children.

The Smithsonian report prompted two hearings at the Capitol in
Charleston, after which Governor Okey L. Patterson and State Police
Superintendent W.E. Burchett told the Sodders their search was
“hopeless” and declared the case closed. Undeterred, George and
Jennie erected the billboard along Route 16 and passed out flyers
offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of
their children. They soon increased the amount to $10,000. A letter
arrived from a woman in St. Louis saying the oldest girl, Martha, was
in a convent there. Another tip came from Texas, where a patron in a
bar overheard an incriminating conversation about a long-ago
Christmas Eve fire in West Virginia. Someone in Florida claimed the
children were staying with a distant relative of Jennie’s. George
traveled the country to investigate each lead, always returning home
without any answers.

in 1968, more than 20 years after the fire, Jennie went to get the mail
and found an envelope addressed only to her. It was postmarked in
Kentucky but had no return address. Inside was a photo of a man in
his mid-20s. On its flip side a cryptic handwritten note read: “Louis
Sodder. I love brother Frankie. Ilil Boys. A90132 or 35.” She and
George couldn’t deny the resemblance to their Louis, who was 9 at the time of the fire.
Beyond the obvious similarities — dark curly hair, dark brown eyes — they had the same
straight, strong nose, the same upward tilt of the left eyebrow. Once again they hired a

WANTED

$5000.00 (fix #«•..(! REWARD
MISSING PERSONS

FIVE CHILDREN - Brothers and Sisters

tW. KIDNAPPED MURDERED? ois*ws*Jie

Miuiaa Mace December 24th, 1945

MR. and MRS. GEORGE SODDER

of Faretteaille, Wat Virsinu, OH cm *5000.00 REWARD

private detective and sent him to Kentucky. They never heard from him again.

The Sodders feared that if they published the letter or the name of
the town on the postmark they might harm their son. Instead, they
amended the billboard to include the updated image of Louis and
hung an enlarged version over the fireplace. “Time is running out for
us," George said in an interview. “But we only want to know. If they
did die in the fire, we want to be convinced. Otherwise, we want to
know what happened to them.”

He died a year later, in 1968, still hoping for a break in the case.
Jennie erected a fence around her property and began adding rooms
to her home, building layer after layer between her and the outside.
Since the fire she had worn black exclusively, as a sign of mourning,
and continued to do so until her own death in 1989. The billboard
finally came down. Her children and grandchildren continued the
investigation and came up with theories of their own: The local mafia
had tried to recruit him and he declined. They tried to extort money
from him and he refused. The children were kidnapped by someone
they knew — someone who burst into the unlocked front door, told
them about the fire, and offered to take them someplace safe. They
might not have survived the night. If they had, and if they lived for
decades — if it really was Louis in that photograph — they failed to
contact their parents only because they wanted to protect them.

The youngest and last surviving Sodder child, Sylvia, is now 69, and doesn’t believe her
siblings perished in the fire. When time permits, she visits crime sleuthing websites and
engages with people still interested in her family’s mystery. Her very first memories are of that
night in 1 945, when she was 2 years old. She will never forget the sight of her father bleeding
or the terrible symphony of everyone’s screams, and she is no closer now to understanding
why.

Sources:

Books:

Michael Newton, The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes. New York: Facts on File, 2004;
Melody Bragg and George Bragg, West Virginia Unsolved Murders & Infamous Crimes. Glen
Jean, WV: GEM Publications, 1993; One Room Schoolin’, A Living History of Central West
Virginia. Hickory, NC: Hometown Memories Publishing, 2011.

Articles:

“Missing or Dead?” Greensboro News and Record, November 18, 1984; “Hope of Life in ’45
Fire Still Burns, Boston Daily Record, December 24, 1960; “The Children Who Went Up in
Smoke,” Inside Detective, February 1968.

| Follow @KarenAbbott

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The Cleveland Torso Murders - Historic Mysteries

January 11, 2013 historicmysteries.com

Police work began in earnest and the workload increased
when the body of a female showed up in January of 1 936.
She had been killed in a similar manner to the two men.
Detectives were puzzled that the killer had changed the gender of his victims, which was
unusual. The body was soon identified as Flo Polillo, a frequent patron of bars in the area.

Sptember 23, 1935: Edward Andrassy’s
headless, emasculated corpse. Photo
courtesy of Marjorie Merylo Dentz.

One day in September of 1935, in the Kingsbury Run area
of Cleveland, Ohio, two bodies were found in the bushes.
Police were called immediately and, after looking over the
crime scene, were able to confidently state that there were
two male bodies that had been emasculated and
beheaded. There was no blood at the scene, leading
detectives to conclude they had been killed elsewhere and
transported to the crime site. One of the bodies would
remain unidentified, but the other was identified as an
Edward Andrassy, who was known to the police as a petty
criminal. Curiously, it was determined that the anonymous
man had been killed several weeks before Andrassy.

At this point the famous Eliot Ness became involved, as he was Cleveland’s chief of Public
Safety. He added himself to the growing number of law enforcement working on the case.

The murders continued. In June of 1936 a male body was found that featured several notable
tattoos. Despite those distinctive markings, the body was never identified.

A partial body found in September had a hat nearby that was later identified as one given to a
homeless man by a local woman. This reinforced the theory that the Cleveland torso murders
were being committed solely on people from the lowest rungs of society.

There was a slight lull in the murders and, although the investigation continued at a frantic
pace, Ness and the police were not any closer to finding the killer.

The killer apparently killed six more times before the last canoncial victim was found in
August of 1938 (like Jack the Ripper, there was some disagreement among law enforcement
as to the number of murders committed by the killer).

The hunt for murderer hit one dead end after another. Investigators were hopeful when a man
was identified who often went to a bar patronized by several of the victims. This man was
known to become angry and threatening when drunk. The man was taken into custody and,
after some time, confessed to one murder. Unfortunately, he killed himself before he was fully
questioned about the other murders. Suspiciously, after his death, he was found to have
several broken ribs, which acquaintances of the man said he didn’t have when he went into
police custody. This led the press and general populace to believe his confession was

Coincidentally, the Cleveland torso murders appeared to stop
after the doctor went into that mental hospital. Cleveland police
continued to investigate the crimes, but no convictions were ever
made and the murders remain a cold case that may be solved in
the future — or it may remain an unsolved puzzle from the realm of 20th century true crime.

worthless and had been obtained under physical force.

Later, Ness himself oversaw the pursuit of another man, a doctor
with a history of mental illness. He was brought in and failed a
primative lie detector test. Ness felt he was finally on the path to
the killer and continued to press the medical man. The doctor
eluded Ness by voluntarily committing himself to a mental
institution, which placed him out of reach of Ness and his team.
Had Ness pursued the doctor further, the doctor had an insanity
defense virtually locked in place.

Sources:

“The Mammoth Encyclopedia of the Unsolved” by Colin Wilson and Damon Wilson
“Cleveland Torso Murderer” Wikipedia, pulled 1-10-13

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The Coso Artifact - Historic Mysteries

January 29, 2012 historicmysteries.com

The Coso Artifact is an item known as an “out of
place artifact.” Out of place artifacts are
essentially modern objects found in places where
they do not belong, hinting at the possibility of
modern technology having been around long
before modern man developed it. In the case of
the Coso Artifact, the item was found inside of a
stone or lump of hardened clay. Proponents for
the Coso Artifact as an out of place artifact say
that the material in which it was discovered is too
old to have held such an item. Estimates put the
material at around 500,000 years old. However, there is another side of the story.

The Coso Artifact was found by rock and geode hunters Mike Mikesell, Virginia Maxey and
Wallace Lane. On February 13, 1961 , the trio was hunting for geodes to sell in their gift shop.
They hunted in the area of Olancha, California and then brought their finds back to the shop
to be sorted and cut. When one of the “geodes” was cut, a cylinder of metal and ceramic was
found inside. One of the discoverers of the Cos said that an archaeologist dated the material
to 500,000 years ago. It was also said that it might be hardened clay and that it also
contained what looked like a nail and a washer.

The date of the Coso Artifact relies on the assumption that it is a geode. The only known
thorough physical examination of the Coso Artifact found that the material was too soft to be
a geode. It also lacked the telltale quartz crystals found in crystals. Some softer materials can
form around a modern item relatively quickly, whereas a geode cannot. That renders the age
estimate not necessarily incorrect, but based on a faulty belief. The most telling part of the
examination came with an x-ray of the item inside. It revealed that the metal was a cylinder
with a screw-like item on one end and a flare on the other end.

Since the time of that investigation, the Coso Artifact has disappeared. The three individuals
who found it are not talking about it and one may have since passed away. Nonetheless, the
first investigation and the photos (including x-ray photos) that resulted have made it possible
for experts to make some interesting discoveries about the item. Not only is it widely known
that the photos do not show a modern item inside of a geode, the item inside the geode has
been identified.

Pacific Northwest Skeptic Pierre Stromberg took an interest in this supposedly out of place
artifact and decided to look into it. Unable to use the Coso Artifact itself as a point of
reference, he used the photos and x-rays that were taken of the item decades earlier. It had
been proposed that the item was a spark plug, as it displayed many of the characteristics of a
spark plug. However, the screw-like end posed a problem. He contacted the Spark Plug
Collectors of America, asking them to identify it, if possible. He received word back that the
item had been positively identified as a 1920s Champion spark plug. There was no doubt in

The Coso Artifact

the man's mind and other spark plug collectors have confirmed that the Coso Artifact is
indeed a spark plug, just designed differently than the spark plugs we use today.

The spark plug identification, along with the nail and washer mentioned by one of the people
who discovered the Coso Artifact, the idea of it being a piece of hardened clay that formed in
some kind of work yard becomes the most logical explanation. A professional examination of
the Coso Artifact would certainly prove or disprove that hypothesis in a matter of minutes.
Unfortunately, that is not currently possible. It seems unlikely that it was a hoax, given the
hands-off approach that the discoverers have taken over the past few years. It seems it was
simply mistaken for something that it was not. In fact, even Maxley said that was a possibility.

Sources

Coso Artifact, retrieved 1/28/12, badarchaeology.com/?page-id=223

Stromberg, Pierre, The Coso Artifact, retrieved 1/28/12, talkorigins.org/faqs/coso.html

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The Death of J.B. Elwell - Historic Mysteries

September 14, 201 1

historicmysteries.com

It was a very narrow window of time to commit a murder.

Joseph Browne Elwell was a New York City resident and an
expert of the game of Bridge. He had written several books on
the subject and was well-known in the card playing community.

He also had the reputation of being quite a ladies man. His
private address book contained the names and contact
information of more than fifty women, some of whom were
married.

He might have made a few enemies in his pursuit of the fairer sex
— such as husbands and boyfriends of his conquests.

The morning of June 11, 1920, went according to routine. Mail

Honda sands shortly before his was delivered to J.B. Elwell’s house at 7:10 in the morning.

death in 1920. a

Elwell’s housekeeper arrived one hour later and, upon entering,
discovered her employer sitting in a chair in the living room. When he did not respond to her
greeting, she became suspicious. He was always a cordial man.

Entering into the room she saw he had an open letter on his lap and there was unopened
mail on the floor beside him. He also had a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.

Calling for help, the housekeeper waited anxiously for the police and an ambulance to arrive.

The authorities arrived and discovered that J.B. Elwell was alive but unresponsive. They
rushed him to the hospital where he died soon after.

The police were baffled by the crime scene. There was no gun found, but the bullet that killed
him was found neatly placed on a table in the room. It might have ricocheted off a wall and
onto the table, but the placement of the bullet looked staged. The bullet’s cartridge was found
lying on the floor. The angle of the wound indicated that the killer had been crouched in front
of Elwell when the trigger was pulled. There were no foreign fingerprints found at the scene
and there was no sign of a struggle or forced entry into the house. Nothing was stolen. Elwell
most likely knew his killer and freely let him or her into the house.

But why would he invite a visitor into his home and then proceed to sit down and ignore them
while opening his mail? Or did they chat amiably while he went about this mundane task?

The letter in his lap and the mail on the floor offered no clue as to the crime.

The authorities would investigate but ran into a series of dead ends. The crime has never
been solved.

The media went rabid with speculation regarding the puzzling crime. The New York Times
theorized that Elwell was not the mild-mannered Bridge expert that he presented to the world,

but had a dark side and that the solution to the murder could only be found in Elwell’s “Jekyll
and Hyde” personality.

In a bizarre twist, the following April a man confessed to the crime but quickly repudiated that
confession saying he only admitted to the crime so that he would get the death penalty and
cause no more trouble to his wife and family. He was not prosecuted.

SOURCES:

“The Mammoth Book of Bizarre Crimes” by Robin Odell.

“Elwell, the Man of Many Masks.” The New York Times, June 20, 1920.

“Harris Admits His Elwell Murder Tale was All a Lie.” The New York Times, April 11, 1921.

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The Death of Julia Wallace - Historic Mysteries

July 29, 2011 historicmysteries.com

On the evening of the 20th, Wallace set out for the appointment,

juha Wallace was brutally having his wife Julia at home. He headed out to Menlove Gardens

murdered in her home. „ .... „ _

West, which he knew, and presumed Menlove Gardens East must

connect to it. But when he arrived he could find no such street. He wandered around, stopped

to ask shopkeepers and a policeman, all of whom told him there was no such street. Puzzled,

he wandered around the area briefly and then journeyed back home.

It was a wild-goose chase that ended in murder.

On the evening of January 19, 1931, at a popular chess club in
Liverpool, England, a phone call came in for William H. Wallace, a
member. Wallace hadn't arrived yet, but was expected, so the man
taking the call took a message. The message was from an ‘‘R. M.
Qualtrough” who asked for Wallace to come by his house the
following evening to discuss an insurance policy (Wallace was an
insurance agent). Qualtrough’s message directed Wallace to an
address on Menlove Gardens East, a street Wallace was unfamiliar
with.

When he arrived at his house, he used his key but found the front door bolted from the inside.
He went around to the back door and used his key but found that door bolted, too. There
were no lights on in the house. He began to worry and went around to try the front door again
but it was still inaccessible. T rying the back door a second time, he found that he could enter
the house using the key. The door was no longer bolted. He turned on lights as he made his
way through the house and eventually discovered the dead body of Julia Wallace in the
sitting room — she had been bashed repeatedly by a blunt instrument.

Shocked, he called to a neighbor, who went off to summon the police.

The police arrived and found very few clues, although a poker and a metal bar kept near the
gas fireplace in the sitting room were missing. The police felt these were the murder weapons
and had been taken away by the killer. A small amount of money had been taken, but robbery
was officially ruled out as the primary motive.

Shopkeepers and the policeman were able to verify Wallace’s futile trip on the night of the
murder, but, nonetheless, Wallace was arrested for the murder of his wife on February 22nd.

During the initial phases of the investigation, Wallace’s behavior raised a few eyebrows.
During the inquiry and subsequent trial Wallace seemed detached and monotone, if not cold,
while detailing the events around the horrible murder of a loved one. He took the stand and
failed to impress the jury. Why? As an observer of the trial, crime writer F. T ennyson Jesse
wrote: “People of unpleasing personality. ..should be advised never to go into the witness
box. The jury did not like the man, or his manner which could have been either stoicism or

callousness. They did not understand his lack of expression of any kind and they knew it hid
something. It could have hidden sorrow or guilt and they made their choice."

Wallace was found guilty and sentenced to hang. He was spared and released by an
appellate court, who felt the verdict did not match the purely circumstantial evidence.

Who was the mysterious R. M. Qualtrough who falsely arranged to have Wallace out of the
house at the time of the murder? The chess club member who spoke to him on the phone
swore the voice was nothing like Wallace’s voice.

Wallace found it impossible to return to his life in Liverpool, so he moved to the country where
he died in 1933.

And so the case sat for almost fifty years. In 1 980, a radio program about the case pointed
the finger at a co-worker of Wallace’s as the killer. The story went that the man, who had an
alibi of being with his girlfriend on the evening in question, appeared at a garage on the night
of the 20th needing his car completely cleaned, inside and out. The garage attendant noticed
blood-soaked gloves inside the car. The radio program tracked down the man’s former
girlfriend who stated that the man had not been with her at any time on the 20th.

Was this the long-sought solution?

Possibly.

But officially it remains an unsolved mystery.

Sources:

The Mammoth Book of Unsolved Crimes, Roger Wilkes (editor)

“Chess and the Wallace Murder Case” Chess Notes website, pulled 7/21/1 1

“Julia Wallace and the Devil in the Detail,” BeatlesLiverpoolandMore website, pulled 7/21/1 1

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The Disappearance of the Grimes Sisters

November 9, 2014 historicmysteries.com

They should have been home before midnight.

On December 28, 1956, 15-year-old Barbara
Grimes and her 13-year-old sister Patricia went to
a nearby Chicago movie theater to see the Elvis
Presley movie “Love Me Tender.”

Several reliable sightings at the theater
determined the fact that the two did arrive safely
at the movie. A friend sat behind them during the
film and this same friend saw them later in the line to purchase snacks.

The two sisters apparently stayed for the second show of a double-feature.

Then they vanished.

When the Grimes sisters did not arrive home by midnight, their worried mother sent out two of
her other children to the bus stop closest to their house to wait for the two girls. Several
buses passed by, but the sisters were not on any of them. At a little after 2am on the morning
of the 29th, their mother called the police. It was quickly determined that it was unlikely that
the two girls had run away on their own.

In the subsequent days, police fanned out across the Chicago areas and found people who
eagerly reported having seen the two girls. It became a headache for the police to keep up
with all of the alleged sightings:

• Several people claimed that they witnessed two young girls matching a description of
the Grimes sisters get on a bus heading east into the heart of Chicago. Nobody saw
these two girls get off the bus at any stop on the route, however. Similarly, a train
conductor would claim to have seen them on a train near the Chicago suburb of
Glenview.

• A night security guard claimed that he was asked for directions by two young girls the
night of their disappearance.

• On the following evening, the evening of the 29th, a fellow student of Patricia’s
reportedly saw her walking past a restaurant in the company of two other girls — neither
of which was Barbara.

• A restaurant worker reported a sighting early in the morning of the 30th. He said they
were in the company of a man at this point, and that one of the girls acted sickly or
drunk and had to be assisted when walking.

• A hotel clerk stated the girls briefly stayed at his hotel. A clerk at another hotel
claimed that he had refused them a room due to their young age.

• Several days later, employees of a department store reported seeing the Grimes
sisters in their store, listening to Elvis Presley records.

• Most mysteriously, roughly two weeks after the girls’ disappearance, a classmate of
Patricia’s got two puzzling phone calls near midnight. During the first call, there was
nothing but silence on the line. During the next call, a voice the mother was sure was
Patricia’s said: “Is that you, Sandra? Is Sandra there?" The caller then hung up.

The fate of the Grimes sisters would become known before the month was up. On January
22, 1957, a day laborer found their bodies near a road. They appeared to have been dumped
or thrown there by someone in a passing car.

The search for the killers became complicated when the autopsy pathologists and the chief
investigator of the county coroner’s office could not agree on a time of death. Similarly, the
wounds on the bodies were puzzling enough that no clear cause of death could be agreed
upon.

The police conducted a massive search for possible culprits and finally focused on three likely
suspects:

• A homeless man from Tennessee. He originally admitted to killing the Grimes sisters,
but later recanted, saying that the police had forced him to issue a false confession.

• A young man in his teens who offered to take a lie detector test, which he failed. The
police began to focus on him as a prime suspect until they were told that it was illegal to
polygraph someone underage. The police released him, many of the authorities thinking
he was their man. He was later imprisoned for the unrelated murder of a young woman.

• A man in his early 50s called the police before the bodies were found to say that he
dreamed a location of the bodies which proved, in the end, to be remarkably accurate.
Police grilled the man but were unable to come up with enough evidence to proceed.

Despite a long investigation, the crime has never been solved.

Sources:

“Murder of the Grimes sisters," Wikipedia, pulled 10-29-14.

“10 Strange Mysteries Involving Anonymous Letters,” Listverse website, pulled 10-29-14.

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If you've eaten a fig recently, don't read this

mirror.co.uk

The disgusting reason figs aren't vegetarian will put you off for life

• 16:57, 7 April 2015

• By Helena Horton

This is really shocking - you probably shouldn't serve figs to vegetarians, and you'll probably
never want to eat a piece of the fruit again

You probably shouldn't serve figs to
vegetarians, or people who aren't into eating
insects.

When a wasp pollinates a fig, she often gets
stuck inside.

Edible figs always have at least one dead
female wasp stuck inside. You won't find a
whole wasp though - when a female wasp
dies inside a fig, an enzyme in the fruit
breaks down her carcass into protein.

The fig basically eats the wasp, and makes
it into part of the fruit.

Farmers actually buy bags of wasps to
control the amount of wasps each plant can
eat.

Another disgusting fact which might stop you
trusting food for life is that to qualify for safe
consumption, ketchup is required to contain
no more than 30 fruit flies per 1 00 grams

So, if you've eaten figs and ketchup, you
have almost definitely eaten both wasps and
fruit flies.

r Copyright 2014 Evemote Corporation. Alt rights reserved. V .en-markup-crop-options { top: 18px Umportant ; left: 50% Important; margin-left:
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YES, DISGUSTING No I like wasps I never ate figs anyway

The Disturbing Exorcisms and Death of Anneliese Michel
- Historic Mysteries

April 8, 201 1 historicmysteries.com

Anneliese Michel was born in Germany on
September 21, 1952. She grew up in a devoutly,
somewhat extreme, Catholic family. Pictures of
her taken in her childhood show a vibrant, pretty
girl on her way to becoming a gorgeous woman.
She had shining black hair, an open, honest face
and a stunning smile. By the time she was 23-
years-old, she was emaciated, heavily bruised,
scarred and deranged. She was supposedly taken
over by demons and fought for nearly eight years

Anneliese Healthy and Young vs. Anneliese Close to
Death

before finally losing her battle with evil. Later, her death was labeled negligent homicide, but
was there anything anyone could have done for Anneliese Michel? Were those who were with
Anneliese really fighting Satan?

Four years before Anneliese was born, her mother, Anna Michel gave birth to an illegitimate
daughter. This was a source of shame for the Catholic family. After she married and gave
birth to Anneliese, she apparently harbored feelings of guilt about her first daughter.
Unfortunately, Anneliese’s older sister died at the age of eight, but Anneliese reportedly felt
like she needed to repent for her mother’s sin. She supposedly spent much of her time doing
penance for her mother, sinful youth and bad priests.

Anneliese’s supposed symptoms of possession began in 1968. Anneliese was a 16-year-old
high school student. The symptoms were convulsions and they were eventually diagnosed as
epilepsy by a neurologist. Anneliese Michel took medicine for her condition and continued her
life to the best of her ability. She finished high school and went on to college, where she
studied to become a teacher. Apparently, the medicine was not helping her much. Her
problems only got worse.

Overtime, Anneliese Michel complained of seeing disturbing visions while saying her
prayers. Later, evil voices giving her commands followed. Finally, Anneliese began showing
an aversion to religious iconography. An older woman, a friend of the Michel family, noticed
this while on a pilgrimage with Anneliese. She said that Anneliese smelled “hellishly bad” and
took her to see some priests. Many of them said Anneliese needed a doctor. However, one
eventually said Anneliese needed an exorcism and an exorcism was eventually granted.

In 1975, Anneliese Michel and her parents stopped seeking medical advice and gave over
Anneliese’s fate to the Roman exorcism ritual. Anneliese, the priests and her parents truly
believed she was possessed. Anneliese Michel herself said that Judas, Nero, Hitler, Cain,
Lucifer and others were inside of her. Over the next ten months, Father Arnold Renz and
Pastor Ernst Alt performed 67 exorcisms for the tormented girl. It is important to note that
every action taken during these rituals was condoned by Anneliese.

Sometimes, the seriously ill Anneliese would perform hundreds of genuflections during these
rituals. It is rumored that her parents held her up for them when she got too weak to do it
herself. It is not hard to imagine this being necessary, given that Anneliese stopped eating
altogether for some time before she died. She believed it would lessen the evil’s control over
her. There are claims that Anneliese spoke several different languages (or the demons and
evil souls that possessed her did) during the exorcisms. The author of this article cannot
verify such claims, as she does not speak the languages Anneliese supposedly spoke in the
tapes.

It is certain that medicine was not saving Anneliese Michel from whatever tormented her, but
there is no questioning that things got worse for her when she gave herself over to exorcism.
She allegedly urinated and defecated on the floor frequently, also licking up her own urine.
She ate insects, growled at religious icons and sat under her kitchen table barking for two
days. Surely, her family was afraid of her, but a medical professional probably would not have
left her under the table for two days or let her starve to death, which is eventually what she
did.

Anneliese Michel died of dehydration and malnutrition on July 1, 1976. The 23-year-old
woman weighed 68 pounds at the time of her death. Josef Michel (her father), Anna Michel
and the two exorcists were eventually charged with negligent homicide. During the trial,
evidence of the possession worked both for and against the defense. Forty-two of the
exorcisms were audio-recorded and there were various pictures of a seriously ill-looking,
bruised and sore-covered Anneliese. Anneliese is horrifying in these tapes which works for
the defense that she was possessed, but is certainly not conclusive. If nothing else, the tapes
made it clear that Anneliese was seriously ill and no one was making her eat. It is certain that
possessed or not, Anneliese should have been cared for better.

There is no way to prove or disprove supernatural occurrences, such as exorcisms. That
makes it difficult to know what really happened to Ms. Michel. However, it is possible to prove
that there is some evidence that epileptics are at an increased risk of displaying symptoms of
schizophrenia and it is has been posited that Michel suffered from dissociative personality
disorder and schizophrenia. That, combined with her religious background, could easily
account for the events leading to her death, but one can never be certain, of course.

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The Early 1900s Plan To Annex Governors Island & Make
Manhattan Larger

gothamist.com

KENNARDMAP1 5.jpg

greatemyl 5.jpg

The mastermind of the 1912 plan was (totally
legit and respected) engineer T. Kennard
Thomson, who declared the project would cost the city nothing.

\ Krally (irnttrr New York
DR T KENNAHD IMO>WXN

An article in the NY Times from 1912 boldly
announced: "Plans to change map of the
harbor... Governors Island to be annexed, and
Staten Island and New Navy Island to be
connected." The plan was to make Manhattan
bigger, which we've seen in other old plans —
like that one where we were going to drain the
East River and build inside of it. Or that other
one where we were going to pave the Hudson.
Both of those are kind of folded into this earlier
proposal.

"Speaking at a meeting of the American Society of Civil Engineers... he suggested
the building of two sea walls from each end of the Battery to Governors Island and
the filling in of what is now the channel at the south of Manhattan Island. The work
which has been in progress for years under the Government for the extension of
the island to the south should be continued until it extends about ten blocks right
down the center of the harbor to about a mile and a quarter of Staten Island. Mr.
Thomson reckoned that thereby eight or nine miles of docks would be added to
the city and a tract of 1,400 acres worth $1,000,000,000 made available for
building purposes."

Four years later, the plan was still alive, and showed up in Popular Science magazine (which
showed up on Reddit today) — the article was penned by Thomson himself, and began:

"At first glance, a project to reclaim fifty square miles of land from New York Bay,
to add one hundred miles of new waterfront for docks, to fill in the East River, and
to prepare New York for a population of twenty million, seems somewhat
stupendous, does it now?"

Other changes we would have seen if the plan panned out: The Brooklyn Navy Yard would
have been moved to Newark Bay, a new Harlem River would have run through part of
Manhattan, and a new East River would have been placed between Brooklyn and Queens.
Also? Grand Central Terminal would have built on top of the newly paved East River.

By the 1930s, Thomson scaled back his proposal, changing the name from "A Really Greater
New York" to "A New Manhattan," which you can read more about here.

Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 7, 2015 12:55 pm

The enigma of fires Laroya.

contactoparanormal.us

A burning mystery

A mid-century, mysterious fires raged for several weeks a small area
of the province of Almeria. Spontaneous combustion that day and
night, tormented and sometimes scorched Laroya's neighbors.

Laroya is a small
Andalusian town
of the province
of Almena found
in the Sierra de
los Filabres 8
kilometers

from MacHale . Everything happened on June 16, 1945 at about five in the afternoon. The
atmosphere in the town was strange, as there was a dense fog, unusual in those days, and
everywhere a kind of smell of sulfur or something similar breathed. The girl of fourteen Maria
Martinez Martinez , a resident of the town, played by the House Pitango and, according to
witnesses, saw a sort of bluish-colored ball "as descending from heaven" and that ignited the
apron she wore. The impressive scare the girl reacted immediately and extinguished the flames
that were spreading your body. Qu laborers working on the farm, alerted by the cries of the
small, were to his aid. Do not give credit to this amazing phenomenon.

But later realized that too at the same time it happened, in the adjacent mountainside,
specifically in the farmhouse Franco, began to burn similarly - inexplicably - a few baskets and
piles of wheat, I was also green.

In both cases, the fire started without cause. Laroya inhabitants were completely terrified
therefore unable to understand the situation, afraid to return to occur and burn down someone
else. And so, soon again produced another strange unexplained fire, and then another, and so
many other attempts that appeared everywhere, until that mysterious fog " swarming "in place
rose, which occurred at about eleven night.

When everything calmed down, there was a neighborhood meeting in which they agreed to
conduct a raid in the area, because everything pointed to a pyromaniac was the place making
mischief. With chandeliers, lamps and lanterns were looking through the brush and some nooks
to identify the possible cause. But the search proved entirely fruitless.

The next morning, frightened, the residents of Laroya ran to catch the Civil Guard Macael to

According to testimony, upon arrival to the people,
while they were interviewing a neighbor, could see
with their own eyes how the jacket of an agent,
who had left on a hanger, burned beyond
repair . The same thing happened with a broom,
with a chair and furnishings that were there. They
even saw a poor hen who was pecking the ground
began to burn spontaneously. Corporal Santos
asked for patience but the neighbors said they could not waste time, "we are burning
everything!" And then, in the farmhouse of Estella, with the guards present as witnesses,
observed all the fire spread the roof of the house, the stables, pantry and even sausages had
stored there.

warn them of what was happening and ask "urgent
assistance". Thus, and commanded by Corporal
Santos, left four guards swift gallop their horses
over rough road towards the Filabres Laroya .

Meritorious members quickly decided to
report what was happening to civil
governor, and he gave the order to
immediately send specialists to the
population to averiguasen what was
happening in Laroya. Thus came to town
engineer Rodriguez Navarro (head of
Meteorological Observatory) and a Chief
Engineer of Mines in the area. Were
investigated for several days, but the fires
were repeated again and again. The 23th
of that month, they themselves witnessed
a spontaneous fire in the farmhouse Source of Sax, owned by Silverio Sanchez Martin.

The next day would be one of the busiest. New fires in the farmhouse Locksmith and that of
Gabriel Martinez, causing much damage, especially utensils and clothes were
produced. According to statements by the time it was "as if those fires were alive, as though
acting intelligently." During the day there were over a hundred unexplained fires in different
places.

For two weeks there were over three hundred spontaneous fires throughout the area. The
same village priest spent morning, noon and night ringing the bells, "warning fire" because
when it seemed that a fire was extinguished, is another declared elsewhere. The newspapers
of the time reflected the events in the town of Laroya and, therefore, curious from all over
flocked to the city to see the mysterious fires or help if necessary.

After analyzing the details, the engineers who studied the case raised several
hypotheses. Especially focused on an incident in Almerfa during the month of November 1741,
where according to the chronicles, a cloud driven by a strong east wind shifted to the mountains
that crown the capital. Suddenly he dropped a shower of "sparks" which set fire to many parts
of the country, and even an English squadron, commanded by M. of Court , which was in
the port of Almeria .

This phenomenon was associated with the nearby Italian volcano Etna, that after a strong wind
deposited a kind of burden on a cloud that moved to our country. The engineers found that the
hours of action of suchfenomenso 1741 coincided with that of the fires of Laroya .

The report of the results signed by the engineer Jose Cubillo, detailing how several hypotheses
were established to demonstrate the nature of the mysterious fires . According to him, it was
thought pockets of gas contained in the air, timely atmospheric phenomena lightning-ball,
ignitable concentrations of flammable materials or gases, and many other causes, but all
hypotheses were discarded gradually by analysts themselves, because no were arguments that
cradle them. Even as in 1741, there was speculation that could be the ashes of Mount Etna, but
again this explanation was discarded. The hypothesis, especially reviewed, human
performance as a producer of spontaneous combustion was also ruled out, as there were
numerous witnesses and evidence to support the spontaneity of the fires.

Scientists left the village as they had come, without a clear explanation. That was when the
oldest of the place began to spread through the village rumor that it was an ancient
curse. Apparently, for many years a Moor named HaChama was accused of heresy and
executed by the Inquisition in the village of Laroy and as burning at the stake, swore eternal
vengeance for having betrayed the people.

On the other hand, who had also related these facts with the devil, especially since many said,
accompanying fires, a strange smell of sulfur that spread around the place breathed.

One of the most interesting of which testimonies also press echoed it did was that many of the
witnesses claimed to have seen, one day of extreme mysteries activity, "a kind of child or"
something "as a skeleton hanging in the air, engulfed in fire and light and fire that was clear.

" As the phenomenon continued to occur, the Government decided to send back several
experts to try to explain the unusual prodigy. And so, on Saturday July 7 they lelgaron the
people a chemist and photographer, who, nothing more to show up, witnessed the action of fire
in the farmhouse Pitango, just as the sun was highest. On Wednesday 1 1th Laroya reached
more specialists, in this case the Mining Geological Institute.

Were the engineer Carlos Orti with Mr. Cubillo, who were the ones who prepared the
preliminary report, days ago. Also came with them a specialist of the Geographical Institute,
they called De Miguel, and went with Dr. Lopez Azcona, the Geophysical Institute of the Higher
Council for Scientific Research.

Days later, by the Meteorological Service of the Ministry of Defense, came to Laroya Lieutenant
Colonel Moran and meteorologist Samaniegos and his assistant, Mr. Sierra Silva. While in the

House Pitango observing the situation, the
Samaniegos saw himself inexplicably burned his
clothes. Similarly, measuring instruments Engineer
Jose Cubillo, who was depositing them in a place to
grab data were completely charred spontaneously
and in his own eyes.

The fires continued to occur, and the
"supercientfficos" sent by the Government knew only
one thing to do "dive hands to his head." One day
while they were taking data and fully focused on
their devices, they saw in the farmhouse Pitango
spontaneously declared a fire and burned 30 kilos of
flour that had been in a boiler.Many researchers began to panic because neither understood
nor controlled nature of phenomena. They had no scientific hypothesis to clarify the matter, did
not know what was happening and therefore chose to abandon their research efforts and leave
no conclusive data.

After this, the government finally silence the surprising fact. Maybe not interested politically
advertising of mysterious fires Laroya because they had no explanation.

According to research and testimony gathered by Alberto Rodriguez Cerezuela and reflecting
on the magnificent work Enigmas and legends of Almeria, fires, besides presenting a kind of
"intelligence" had a predilection for white or light colors. Almost everything that initially burned
spontaneously were clear: apron Mary, chicken, clothes, etc. Despite this, then with the
virulence of the action, began to burn more obscure things, for example, civil guard jacket.

Another interesting detail that should be borne in mind is that before the fires occur in the place
had an extreme "luminous clarity", which many define as a kind of smoke or fog. When burning
objects, gave off a very strong smell of sulfur, oil or something similar. And in this regard, most
of the witnesses did not perceive the smell before bursting fire, but later, when the object was
already burning.

Also noteworthy is a curious feature:
almost all objects that burned were
located at a certain height from the
ground, electrically isolated; objects
hung on hangers, clothes in closets,
etc.

When going to put out a fire, if you
poured water, it took more virulent - as
with fires caused by fuels-, and the best
way to turn them off was with a blanket
and even sometimes with one’s hand.

Later, when silence reigned and no longer remembered the fires, there was a very significant
and noteworthy development. In the village began to find traces of oil that someone had, most
likely, and as investigations showed Guardia Civil, put there. It seems that Mary, the girl of
Fires confessed: "I did it for them to return the learned men and they had finished with the
fires". According to the girl, not bear guilt of those fires, as a result of the press, the comments
of neighbors, the nickname that had taken him, girl Fires, and it all started with herself, she
thought had been the cause of this terrible curse the people.

As we know, much later, the girl Fires committed suicide by swallowing caustic
soda. They say that from what lived convinced that she was possessed by something evil, and
although his suicide apparently had to do with the case, psychologically there could be had any
trauma that led to his suicide.

Also her older sister tells that took his life by jumping out a nearby cliff. And, similarly, his
brother Jose Martinez hanged himself inside the farmhouse Pitango . How would anyone at
the time: a curse.

One of the people who lived these strange episodes said many years later: "Scientists do not
explain anything. We all had the feeling, and more over time, d that we hiding something. "It
was not like anyone give us an explanation, the Civil Guard ordered shut
worldwide. Sometimes we arrived a newspaper, and watched as it had ceased to talk about it,
but here we suffer for another two months. That fire appeared by day, by night ... with flames
floating in the rooms. There was much fear. We were terrified, I swear. I was just a child, but as
I remember the sound of bells touching "fire" to warn that had appeared another, and another! I
still remember the girls burned, as Maria Martinez and Mari Molina , which were ignited
clothing and were about to burn alive. This was an invisible thing. Almost all thought that was
coming to the world. Understand me ... is that no one told us anything! ".

Although no one paid much attention to the subject of the curse of the Moro HaChama, which
some of the inhabitants of Laroya might have had something might have had something to
do, Pedro Amoros bother to consult some books and texts on the inquisitorial processes area,
and no, he did not find any Moor named HaChama. He found only a process of 1 561 related to
such accusation Macael and was to Juan de Benavides: "Because it is relaxed and he said that
was a sign of Muhammad and of Heaven and that this was good and better than the Cross,
enviose prisoner seizure of property. "

And even though the Holy Office at the time and, especially, in this area as influenced by
Muslim culture only sought revenue, could be very likely that this character had just relaxed, ie
burned somewhere. It could also be that after take him, swore revenge and, although we did
not find his name does not imply that did not exist, because many times these people were
known by nicknames, and who knows if this could be the famous Moor HaChama ...

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thecivilwarparlor

JANUARY 21 , 2015 AT 07:50PM

The Exhumation Of Lincoln’s Body 1901

http://thecivilwarparlor.tumblr.com/post/108795599565/the-exhurnation-of-lincolns-body-1901-

remembering

Remembering the 1876 incident where a gang of men tried to steal his fathers body, Robert
Lincoln wanted to ensure that no one would ever be able to disturb the resting place of his
father. So he ordered that the coffin be placed in a cage some ten feet below ground and
encased in concrete. The body was exhumed in 1901... This is the recounting of what
happened...

In 1928, one of the witnesses who viewed the body, J. C. Thompson, said: “As I came up I
saw that top-knot of Mr. Lincoln’s, his hair was coarse and thick, like a horse’s, he used to
say, and it stood up high in front. When I saw that, I knew that it was Mr. Lincoln. Anyone who
had ever seen his pictures would have known it was him. His features had not decayed. He
looked just like a statue of himself lying there.” Another witness, Fleetwood Lindley, who was
just thirteen when he saw the body, was the last of the twenty-three witnesses to pass away.
Just before his death in 1963, he said in an interview: “Yes, his face was chalky white. His
clothes were mildewed. And I was allowed to hold one of the leather straps as we lowered the
casket for the concrete to be poured. I was not scared at the time, but I slept with Lincoln for
the next six months.”

Credit for the condition of Lincoln’s body must go to undertaker Dr. Charles D. Brown, of the
firm Brown and Alexander. Assisted by Harry P. Cattell, Brown embalmed the president’s

body, first draining Lincoln’s blood through his jugular vein. Then, an incision was made in his
thigh and the embalming fluids were pumped in, hardening the body like marble. Brown and
Cattell then shaved the president’s face, leaving behind a tuft on the chin. They set the mouth
in a slight smile and arched his eyebrows. They then dressed the president in his suit. The
condition of Lincoln’s body supported the claims made in a Brown and Alexander advertising
flyer, which touted the benefits of their patented embalming procedure over other methods of
preserving bodies: “...the mortal remains will be kept in the most perfect and natural
preservation, and that cherished countenance looked at once more, by those who may be led
to remember and repeat these holy words of consolation: ‘He is not dead but sleepeth,’ until
we meet again in a better world.”

http://www.encvclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3448300346.html

Photo Credit : http://roaerinorton.com/Lincoln13.html

#lincoln #abraham lincoln #civil war #history #cemetery sprinfeild Illinois #president
lincoln

The Fascinating Life of a Chinese Eunuch in the Forbidden
City of China

ancient-
origins. net

3 January, 2015 - 00:54

The Fascinating Life of a Chinese Eunuch in the Forbidden City of China

The Inner Court of China’s Forbidden City was the emperor’s private realm, where no other
men were allowed to linger for too long. Officials, military personnel, and even male relatives
of the emperor were required to leave the Inner Court at night. The only men who were
allowed to stay in the Inner Court were not men in the fullest sense, but ones that had been
rendered sexually impotent through castration. These were the eunuchs of China.

Whilst the Forbidden City was built during the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century, the practice
of castration and the use of eunuchs in China can be traced much further back. In ancient
China (up until the Sui Dynasty), castration was one of the Five Punishments, a series for
physical punishments meted out by the Chinese penal system. Nevertheless, castration was
also a means of getting a job in the Imperial service. Since the Han Dynasty, eunuchs ran the
day to day affairs of the Imperial court. As their duties brought them in close contact with the
emperor, eunuchs had the potential to exert a considerable amount of influence on the
emperor as well as amass an immense amount of political power. Since eunuchs were
unable to have children of their own and pass down their power, they were not seriously
considered a threat to the ruling dynasty. The powerful emperors of China would sometimes
have thousands of concubines within the Forbidden City, with no risk that the women would
become impregnated by anyone but themselves.

Thousands of Eunuchs se/ved in the
Forbidden City of China. Source:
BigStockPhoto

Whilst eunuchs were dismissed as
potential threats due to their inability to
found their own dynasties, they were
entirely capable of bringing down
ruling dynasties. The immense power
that some eunuchs wielded corrupted
them, turning them into greedy,
ruthless and scheming individuals. In
Chinese dramas and films about the
Imperial court, eunuchs are often cast
as villainous characters. Many instances of evil eunuchs can be found in Chinese history. The
fall of the Qin dynasty, for instance, may be attributed to the eunuch Zhao Gao.

Ming Dynasty Eunuchs (Wikimedia Commons)

According to the historical records, Zhao Gao belonged to the ruling family of the state of

Thousands of Eunuchs served in the Forbidden City of China

Zhao, one of the seven states during the
Warring Period. When Zhao Gao’s parents
committed a crime, they were punished, and
his brothers were castrated. It is traditionally
thought that the same punishment was
inflicted onto Zhao Gao. Zhao Gao came into
the service of Qin Shi Huang as he was an
expert in law and punishment. This allowed
Zhao Gao to rise through the ranks and
become one of the emperor’s closest
advisors. Upon the death of Qin Shi Huang,
Zhao Gao and the Prime Minister/

Chancellor, Li Si, orchestrated a coup by
engineering the death of the heir apparent,
Fusu, as well as two of his supporters, Meng Tian and Meng Yi. Subsequently, Qin Shi
Huang’s youngest son, Huhai, was installed as a puppet emperor. Three years later, a
rebellion broke out, and Zhao Gao forced Huhai to commit suicide, fearing that the emperor
might hold him responsible for the uprising. Zhao Gao then installed Ziying (either Fusu’s son,
or Fusu’s uncle) as the new emperor. Knowing that Zhao Gao would dispose of him once he
was no longer of use, Ziying turned the tables on Zhao Gao, and succeeded in killing him.

The uprising was not quelled, however, and Ziying surrendered to Liu Bang, who founded the
Han Dynasty. Thus, it may be said that the actions of the eunuch Zhao Gao was responsible
for the fall of the Qin dynasty just three years after the death of Qin Shi Huang.

Despite the notorious reputation that the Chinese eunuchs acquired over the course of
history, not all of them were villainous. Some even contributed greatly to Chinese culture.
Paper, one of the Four Great Inventions, is said to have been invented during the Eastern
Han dynasty by a eunuch named Cai Lun. Furthermore, Zheng He, who was a eunuch
serving under the Ming emperor Yongle, commanded the emperor’s trading fleets on voyages
to Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, Persia and East Africa, thus connecting China with these
parts of the world through trade. Additionally, Chinese eunuchs are said to have made
contributions to the court music of China. Eunuchs during the Ming dynasty were recorded as
the first Chinese to play Western Classical music, whilst the emperor Qianlong of the Qing
dynasty assembled a chamber orchestra consisting of eunuchs dressed in European suits
and wigs.

Eunuchs from the Qing dynasty. Photo source: Wikipedia.

The end of the Qing dynasty in the early 20th century brought an end to the Chinese imperial
system, and also the use of eunuchs. In 1924, the last 1500 eunuchs were banished from the
Forbidden City. The last imperial eunuch, Sun Yaoting, died in December 1996, thus bringing
to an end an ancient practice that spanned several millennia.

Featured image: A group of eunuchs. Mural from the tomb of the prince Zhanghuai, 706,

Qian ling, Shaanxi. (Wikimedia Commons)

Ming Dynasty Eunuchs

^ References

Anderson, M. M., 1990. Hidden Power: The
Palace Eunuchs of Imperial China. [Online]
Available at:

Eunuchs from the Qing dynasty

http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/eunuchs1 .html

Graham-Harrison, E., 2009. China's last eunuch spills sex secrets. [Online]

Available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/03/16/us-china-eunuch-
idUSTRE52E06H20090316

Hays, J., 2013. Eunuchs in China. [Online]

Available at: http://factsanddetails.com/china/cat2/sub2/item43.html

Peter, 2013. Top 10 notorious eunuchs in ancient China. [Online]

Available at: http://www.chinawhisper.com/top-1 0-notorious-eunuchs-in-ancient-china/

Wikipedia, 2014. Eunuch. [Online]

Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuch

Wikipedia, 2014. Zhao Gao. [Online]

Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhao Gao

www.beijingmadeeasy.com, 2014. Chinese Eunuchs. [Online]

Available at: http://www.beijingmadeeasy.com/beijing-history/chinese-eunuchs

www.china.org.cn, 2007. Top 10 eunuchs in ancient China. [Online]

Available at: http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/234811.htm

By Dhwty

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The Featherbed Ghost - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

Dances were a common fixture of late Nineteenth Century Appalachian life. They were a form
of entertainment, as well as a means to discuss community events and efforts. Once such
party was held in Scott County, Virginia, in July of 1875. Entire families attended the affair,
down to the smallest infants. Everyone danced, feasted, and sang until the wee hours of the
morning.

The party was a resounding success with over one hundred people in attendance. Jolene
Hilton's family included her 8-month-old baby, Delia. Delia was quickly exhausted by the
festivities and nodded away on her mother's shoulder by eight o’clock. Elva Murray hosted
the party, so Jolene asked to use one of the bedrooms. Elva let her place her baby in the
bedroom closest to the backyard, where the party was ongoing. Jolene draped her shawl
across the sleeping infant and returned outside.

A little while later, Sylvia McConnell brought her baby, Cedric, into the house. She was
directed to the same room. The one-year-old had likewise exhausted himself. There weren’t
any lights in the house, and Sylvia didn’t have a shawl. She felt around the room for a
suitable quilt. She found a stack and pulled one of the top. The entire pile of folded quilts fell
to the floor. She didn’t want to be rude to her hostess, so she picked up the pile of covers and
sat them on the bed.

Jolene sat outside and waited for her baby to cry. Midnight came and still she hadn’t heard
one sound from Delia. She went in the house to check on her. She found a pile of quilts over
where Delia was sleeping. She screamed and threw the covers from the sleeping infant.

Lights were brought into the room, but it was too late. The baby had died struggling, as
evidenced by a single drop of blood on the featherbed. The Murray family sent for the doctor,
but Delia still hadn’t breathed by the time he arrived. He pronounced the child deceased.

The party dispersed and everyone returned home afterward. Elva tried to straighten the bed
up and returned the quilts to their place. But, when she turned around, the bed was messed
up again. It looked just like a baby had been sleeping on it. She straightened it again and left
the room. Her daughter, Daisy, came in to go to bed. She noticed the covers still had the
baby’s outline, but just assumed no one had paid attention. She fluffed it out and snuffed the
light.

Daisy went to bed, but she never got any sleep. She kept hearing the sounds of a baby
choking and trying to cry. She ended up sleeping on the couch by morning. Elva believed it
was just her daughter’s nerves, although she noticed the indentation of a baby again in the
featherbed. The family placed their eldest son in the room. Isaiah didn’t have any better luck
than Daisy. After midnight, he woke to the sounds of a baby choking.

Isaiah was also on the couch the next morning. The family took turns to see if anyone could
sleep in the room, but the effort was futile. The covers would not stay straight. The outline of
a sleeping baby always appeared on the featherbed. Elva also noticed no matter how hard

she scrubbed the featherbed, the drop of blood would not fade or diminish.

The family tried making improvements on the room, rearranging the furniture, a new
featherbed, but no changes stopped the outline from appearing on the bed, or the sounds
that came after midnight.

As a last effort to find some peace, Elva rolled up the original featherbed and stored it in the
attic. The family dismantled the room and rebuilt it on the other side of the house.

The haunting ceased.

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The Firefighter's Fingerprint

August 15, 2014 historicmysteries.com

For decades, firefighters at the Chicago Fire
Department noticed an eerie hand print that left a
permanent mark on a casement, which could not
be washed, scraped or removed, despite several
attempts. Legends circulated, and many believed
that the hand print had a rather macabre history,
belonging to a fellow firefighter who succumbed to
an accident.

About to Die...

On April 1 8th, 1 924, it was an ordinary day for the
many firefighters working at the Chicago Fire Department. Apparently, ignorance is bliss.
Francis Leavy, firefighter, was cleaning a window at the building. He had been odd all
morning. He didn’t talk, didn’t smile or greet his peers, just busied himself with work, with an
air of gloominess around himself. This reminds me of those famous lines:

Like some bold seer in a trance Seeing all his own mischance

Lady of Shallot, by Alfred Tennyson

Suddenly, Leavy foretold in a funereal tone, that he was, in fact, feeling that he was about to
die that day. We can imagine a group of fellow workers giggling at this grim
pronunciation, with a few purple threads of ill omens these feelings often bring.

The phone rang in the most melodramatic
manner, a bus conductor announcing that he was
noticing flames coming from the Curran’s Hall, a
four story building located many blocks away.

Heroic firefighters jumped into the flaming ruins,
fighting the wild flames from both sides of the
building. But there were people caught up on the
upper floors, helpless folk with depleting oxygen.
They used ladders to access the upper floors, and
so far, the rescue mission was going alright. But...

The fire began to show weird properties, it ran
down to the lower stories down the stairs, like a liquid flowing down, a common phenomenon
in oil fires. The waves of fire soon covered the entire building, the roof crashed first, followed
by the walls, causing the death of many, many people who were smashed to the ground
under heavy weight, among them, was Francis Leavy.

Really Tragic

Firelighter's Handprint

A Mark of Death

Several died, while a lucky few were rescued, with
heavy injuries. It was later found out that it was
arson, an insurance fraud perpetrated by a
novelties business at the ground floor of the
building.

Astoundingly, firefighters noticed a strange
phenomenon just the day after this tragedy. A
strange hand print was left at a window, and not
just any window, it was the same one Leavy was
on the Chicago Fire Department cleaning the other day! They tried everything from

Window

window cleaners to chemical solvents, but the

prints remained. Eventually, they stopped trying in the memory of the martyr.

Sadly, a careless paper boy threw a morning paper upon the closed window on April 18,
1944, destroying the glass and the handprint.

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The Georgia Guidestones - Historic Mysteries

July 2,2010

historicmysteries.com

The Georgia Guidestones consist of four tall granite
slabs, a centerpiece of equal height and a capstone that
sits atop the other five stones. The four granite slabs are
each 16 feet, 4 inches tall. They are 6 feet, 6 inches
wide and 1 foot, 7 inches thick. They each weigh more
than 20 tons. The capstone weighs roughly 25,000
pounds. The Georgia Guidestones are sometimes
referred to as the “American Stonehenge," likely
because of their shape and dimensions.

The Georgia Guidestones were commissioned by a man
who called himself Richard C. Christian. Richard went to
the Elberton Granite Finishing Company in 1979 and
said that he wanted to build a monument that would
send a message to mankind. When the man there heard
would need some proof that he would be able to pay for
it. Fie could not start on such a job {the largest that the company had ever undertaken) without
reassurance. So, Richard C. Christian went to the local bank.

At the bank, Richard spoke with banker Wyatt Martin. He told Martin that Richard C. Christian was a
pseudonym and that he and a private group had been planning the construction of the Georgia
Guidestones for twenty years. They wished for the entire project to remain strictly anonymous. Wyatt
later said that Christian was well-dressed and well-spoken. He had no reason to believe that the man
was not sane. Nonetheless, he needed to know Christian's real name before he could conduct any
transactions with him.

Christian agreed, but with a few conditions. After the transactions were complete, the documents with his
name on it were to be destroyed. Wyatt would also have to sign a document stating that he would never
reveal Christian's identity to anyone. These terms were met and so Christian set about finding a location
for the monument and getting all of the details sorted out. The name of the group that Christian was
acting on behalf of was never disclosed, nor was the identity of any other parties involved.

Construction on the Georgia Guidestones began in 1980. Before the stones were even finished being
etched there were rumors that they were the work of the devil. There were also rumors that they would
become some sort of pagan landmark. The rumors got even worse once the monument was finished.
Some people believe that it was commissioned by the New World Order. Others believe that it sets forth
the commandments of the antichrist. Others still believe that it contains guidelines, or advice, for
survivors of the apocalypse. Yet another belief is that they were commissioned by followers of Thomas
Paine. This actually may be true, given that there are certain parallels between the guides and Paine's,
“The Age of Reason.”

Now, the reason for all the to-do about the Georgia Guidestones is certainly the function and messages
of the monument. Richard C. Christian had a few specifications for the large stones he asked for. They
were to be notched and have holes in them that would allow for the structure to act as a compass and a
calendar. The sun shines through a hole in the capstone and shows what day it is on the centerpiece
everyday at noon. The North Star can be viewed through a slot in the centerstone all of the time. There
are also other ways to track the movement of the stars and sun with the Georgia Guidestones.

The above functions obviously give the monument a decidedly ancient pagan feel. However, that is not
the contention of many modern Christians regarding the Georgia Guidestones. The problem seems to
be the “commandments” that were etched into either side of each of the four slabs and, what could be a

The Georgia Guidestones courtesy of Belinda Dobie

the scope of the project, he told Richard that he

sort of title that was etched into the capstone. On the capstone, the words “Let these be guidestones to
an age of reason” were etched in classical Greek, Sanscrit, Egyptian hieroglyphs and Babylonian
cuneiform. On the stones were ten “rules,” “guides,” or “commandments,” depending on how you look at
them. They were written in English, Swahili, Hebrew, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Hindi.

This is what they read in English:

• Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.

• Guide reproduction wisely-improving fitness and diversity.

• Unite humanity with a living language.

• Rule passion-faith-tradition-and all things with tempered reason.

• Protect people and nations with fair laws and courts.

• Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.

• Avoid petty laws and useless officials.

• Balance personal rights with social duties.

• Prize truth-beauty-love-seeking harmony with the infinite.

• Be not a cancer on the earth-Leave room for nature-Leave room for nature.

The meaning of the Georgia Guidestones is relatively clear. A group of people wanted to set forth their
beliefs on a monument which could be viewed by the rest of humanity. It is obvious that their hope is that
these beliefs are viewable for quite some time. This is actually a quite common practice and is not
mysterious in and of itself. However, not knowing whose beliefs they are, makes quite a few people
uneasy. Are they simply ideals that these people hoped the world would understand and some day abide
by? Are they ideals that these people hoped would help guide humanity after an apocalypse? Or, are
they the commandments of the antichrist or the beliefs of the New World Order? We may never know.
The only man who knew the identity of the only individual known to be connected to the text on the
Georgia Guidestones has sworn to carry his secret to the grave.

Sources

Sullivan, Randall, American Stonehenge: Monumental Instructions for the Post-Apocalypse, retrieved
1/25/10, wired. com/science/discoveries/magazine/17-05/ff_guidestones?currentPage=4
thegeorgiaguidestones.com

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peashooter85

The German A7V Tank of World War I,

During World War I the development of the tank was a British and French thing, the Germans never
really got on the tank bandwagon. Opting instead to develop anti-tank weapons, the German’s only
produced 20 tanks of their own. By contrast, the British and French had thousands of tanks. Despite
the German High Command’s lack of love for tanks, one tank design was approved called the A7V
(Allgemeines Kriegsdepartement, 7. Abteilung, Verkehrswesen).

Designed in 1916 and appearing in the later stages of the the, the A7V consisted of an armored hull
built upon the tracks and chasis of a Holt tractor. Weighing 33 tons, it was was a heavily armed tank
with a 57mm main gun and 6 machine guns. A “female” version had two more machine guns in place
of the main gun. It was also well armored, with 30mm frontal armor, 15mm side armor, and 20mm rear
armor. Propelled by two Daimler Benz 4 cylinder engines with 200 horsepower each, on the battlefield
it could achieve a blistering speed of around 3 mph. Typically, each A7V was manned by a crew of 1 7,
including an officer, driver, mechanic, mechanic/signaller, 6 machine gunners, 6 loaders, and two
artilleryman.

Heavily armed and armored, the A7V had two major flaws. First, the large boxy tank made an
excellent target on the battlefield. Secondly, the A7V suffered chronic mechanical problems. In fact
breakdowns accounted for as many losses as enemy fire during the war. Case and point, during the
A7V’s first combat mission at the Battle of St. Quentin Canal, 3 of the 5 tanks present broke down
before entering combat. The largest German tank battle was the Second Battle of Villiers-Bretonneux
in April of 1 9 1 8. Of 15 tanks, one tank refused to start outright, 5 broke down in the midst of combat,
and two toppled over due to their high center of gravity.

Of the 20 A7V tanks that were produced, only one was outright destroyed in battle. The rest were
either scrapped by the Germans, or captured by the Allies and likewise scrapped. Overall, the Germany
Army only employed 50 tanks during the war, most of which were captured British and French tanks.

The German poltergeist who dialed the speaking
clock

http;//coolintere stinqstuff.com/the-qerman-polterqeist-who-dialed-the-speakinq-clock

A Lawyers office in Rosenheim Bavaria, was the unlikely setting for a poltergeist case that completely altered public opinion
on the subject of poltergeists in Germany. Armed with introductions from Hans Bender, director of the Freiburg institute of
Parapsychology, a team traveled with a camera to Rosenheim in the spring of 1975 to make a television documentary on the
case for BBC television.

Arriving at the centre of town, they sought out Konigstrasse 13, a tall building in which various professional men had their
consulting rooms, and which had been the scene of the notorious poltergeist activities they had come to investigate. They
had centred on the office of a lawyer named Adam

Engineers

Herr Adam said that the events that were to become so famous began quietly enough in the summer of 1967, when
telephone malfunctions were reported by office staff. Calls to the office on Rosenheim 1233 had been interrupted by clicks or
cut off, and sometimes all four receivers would ring at once although the line was dead. The malfunctions had become too
frequent to overlook, and’ the office manager, Johannes Engelhard, called in repair men from Siemens, the company that had
installed the equipment a junction, box and four telephones. The Siemens engineers worked in the office for several weeks,
testing wiring and equipment Although they found no faults, they replaced the receivers and junction box but, as this did not
improve matters, they called in the post office.

Early in October, the post office replaced the Siemens equipment with official post office telephones. They installed a meter

so that, as they were made, calls could be recorded visibly in the office on a counter, with a similar meter at the telephone
exchange to provide an official record. At the same time, Herr Adam asked his staff, the office manager Johannes Engelhard,
two office clerks and a part-time worker, tomake a note of their calls,

A Registered Call

On 5 October 1967, Adam and Engelhard were amazed to see the meter register a call although no one in the office was
using the telephone. On 19 October, the same thing happened while Adam was with accountant Dr Schmidt, who produced
an affidavit for Adam to show the post office. Comparing the records from his own meter, the meter at the exchange and the
notes of his staff, Adam realised that these two incidents were by no means isolated Dozens of un dialled calls had been
registered The post office insisted that all the calls had been made in the normal way and, even more peculiar, they had all
been made to the speaking clock.

Strange Goings On

A row broke out between the post office and Herr Adam. Adam pointed out that all his staff had watches and could hear the
chimes of at leasttwo church clocks, and could therefore keep a record of the timing of their telephone calls. Furthermore, no
one was ever alone in the office, and it was ridiculous to suppose that so many calls could have been made unnoticed by
anyone.

Between 7.42 and 7.57 a m. on 20 October 1967,46 telephone calls were registered to the speaking clock. Adam further
pointed out that although at least 17 seconds are needed to dial and connect with the speaking clock, even if one does not
wait to hear the time, the post office claimed that as many as six calls a minute had been made, and continued to send
enormous bills. Nevertheless, on 31 October, they replaced the telephones again This time, the dials were locked and only
Herr Adam had a key. This step made no difference, and on 8 November Herr Adam was extremely angry to receive another
huge bill that did not correspond with the records at all He issued an accusation against person or persons unknown, of
fraud or embezzlement; it began: ‘For several months my telephone installation has been so disturbed that a regular
telephone call is impossible.’

The Ghost Dog of Nuuanu - Urban Legends, Myths, and Folklore

ghostvillage.com

Posted 01 July 2006 - 02:50 AM

Okay this post is more of a setup to get more info than an actual post. LOL. Since we have the
wonderfully wise (hehehehe) Aloha Spirit here. I'm posting this in the urban Legends section because if I
remember correctly this "ghost" was actually supposed to be a demigod or something like that. Is that a
good translation for kupua?

Anyway, I read on some website or another that there are still reports of the ghost dog? Anyone have
I nfo?

Posted 02 July 2006 - 03:03 PM

OK, I think I know which tale you're talking about. I grew up on the North Shore of O'ahu, so I didn't
venture into Nu'uanu Valley much. Nu'uanu Valley is on the Leeward side of the island leading to the
Pali. The valley is considered sacred as is the Pali. Many mythical beasts are said to roam among the
trees as well as the Night Marchers and the ghosts of the kupuna (elders). Nu'uanu is a royal burial
grounds. For over a thousand years the kings and queens of O'ahu have been laid to rest here.

The most fearsome inhabitant of Nu'uanu Valley is Ke La'pu ili‘o Ka Nu'uanu (the ghost dog of Nuuanu).
Kaupe (that's his short name) comes out during the full moon - stalking the valley despite the valley's
modern fagade of manicured lawns and formal gardens. Fie often stops by the old highway waiting for
someone. Kaupe could travel elsewhere, but his favorite haunt was the Nu'uanu Pali. He stops
automobiles (and horse and carriage before that). If a man saw Kaupe first, he would turn around - for
he was a death omen, and would kill almost anyone he met on the road (one exception is Hawaiian
royalty).

Posted 02 July 2006 - 09:02 PM

Thanks for the info Aloha. So are there actually reports or is this more of a "I know someone whose Aunt
saw it once" type of thing?

Posted 02 July 2006 - 11:19 PM

It's about as believable as the Night Marchers tales. There are a few first-hand accounts floating around,
but most stories involve the foaf (friend of a friend).

The story of the ghost dog is old enough that I lend it more credence than the Pupukea Lady or the
faceless ghost at the drive-in theater in Waialae.

EDIT: corrected the name of the village.

Edited by aloha_spirit, 11 July 2006 - 01:03 PM.

Posted 03 July 2006 - 06:24 AM

LMAO! I didn't realize until I clicked on your little my ghost stories link that your geocities page is where I
first read about the dog in the first place. Thanks for the info Aloha. Oh, and if you ever get the chance
I'd like to know more about that faceless ghost.

Froggy

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The Ghost of Kate Morgan

August 30, 2013 historicmysteries.com

Nobody heard the gunshot.

It wasn’t until they found the woman’s body on the staircase that
anyone knew there had even been a shooting.

The latter half of the 19th century seemed to be riddled with
haunting stories, and the luxurious Hotel del Coronado near
San Diego, California, was no exception. The hotel is now host
to the ghost of Kate Morgan, who died in late 1892.

The story of Kate Morgan is a fine example of a story with few
facts that became embellished with many fictions and
exaggerations. It is hard today to tell what really happened.

What we do know is that Kate was born about 1865 in Iowa.

Her mother died when Kate was quite young, so she was sent to live with a grandfather. In
1885, she married a man named Thomas Morgan. The marriage was apparently an unhappy
one, as Kate ran off with another man in 1890. The two headed west, although that
relationship eventually disintegrated at some point, because when Kate arrived in Los
Angeles in mid-1 892, she was looking for work and she was alone. She eventually found
work as a maid in one of the wealthier households, although she seemed to have problems
fitting in with the family and staff of the households, as she worked in three different homes in
two months.

In late November of 1892 she arrived in San Diego, again solo, and checked in to the Hotel
del Coronado under the name of Lottie Bernard. She looked ill and seemed to get worse as
time went on. She told concerned staff that she had cancer and was waiting for her brother, a
doctor, to come and take care of her. As far as we know, Kate did not have a brother who
was a doctor.

She bought a gun.

On November 29th, Kate Morgan’s body was discovered on an exterior stairway leading
down to the beach. Her new gun was nearby and it appeared that a single gunshot to the
head had ended her life. Her death was ruled a suicide, although that would be questioned
almost a century later when a lawyer digging around the official files would state that the
bullet that killed her was of a different caliber than her own gun. Regardless of this finding, a
re-investigation was not opened.

Almost as expected, stories of the hotel room she had occupied being haunted began to
circulate — and still do today. Reports of malfunctioning electrical equipment, unexplained
cold spots and breezes, and shadowy phantoms are still claimed by guests of that room.

It appears that Kate Morgan was quite taken with the fancy hotel and decided not to check

out.

Sources

“Kate Morgan" Wikipedia, pulled 8/27/13

“Kate Morgan: Her Life and Death” KSLResorts.com website, pulled 8/27/13
“Hotel Del Coronado” Paranormal Activity Investigators, pulled 8/27/13

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The Ghost of Terisita Basa

June 12, 2013

historicmysteries.com

Did the ghost of Teresita Basa identify her murderer? Teresita Basa was a respiratory therapist who

Photo Credit: Ebony Magazine. worked at a hospital in Chicago, Illinois. She came

to the United States from the Philippines, where she was born in 1929. She did not seem to
have any enemies. Basa lived an average life in an apartment by herself. Her body was found
in this apartment in February of 1979. Someone had called in a fire at the residence and the
fire department found more than just a fire.

When dealing with mysteries that involve murder,
the questions are usually who did it or how, but
not in the case of Teresita Basa. Ms. Basa’s
murderer is known and the method used to kill her
was hardly a mystery from the moment her body
was discovered. Interestingly, the mystery is how
the case was solved or, more specifically, was the
case really solved in the manner the media and
those involved suggest?

Teresita Basa was stabbed in the chest, where emergency workers found the butcher's knife
used to kill her still embedded in her flesh. She was then left naked and covered with a
mattress. Her killer set the mattress on fire and left. What was not immediately obvious was
that he had robbed her of some jewelry. Later, it would be learned that the man who killed
Basa was a repeat rapist and the state of her body suggests that she may have been
sexually assaulted, but none of the available sources confirm or deny it.

There was initially no one to blame for the heinous crime. Police did not know to trace any
jewelry. They were unable to link any of the suspects they collected to the crime. It just
seemed like a dead end, but not for Remy Chua. Chua worked with Basa at the hospital and
recalled one day mentioning that she would be okay with Basa’s spirit visiting her to tell her
what had happened. Later that day, a series of frightening visions and nightmares reportedly
began.

Remy Chua says that her experiences with Basa after Basa’s death began in the locker room
at work, according to Colin Wilson, author of “Poltergeist, A Classic Study in Destructive
Hauntings.” Chua began seeing a man’s face in her dreams behind that of Basa. She even
began channeling Basa’s spirit when talking to her husband, who was a doctor. Through
Remy, Teresita told Dr. Chua the whole story.

An orderly at the hospital by the name of Alan Showery had gone to Basa’s apartment in
February to help her fix a television set. At some point, he assaulted her, killed her, stole
some of her jewelry and set the mattress on fire. Chua was even able to describe what
happened to the jewelry, which Showery had given to his common law wife. This is the
information Dr. Chua convinced his wife to give to the police.

8 .

The police were obviously not too sure of Chua’s report when they
began following up with her information, but they caught a break when
they spoke to Showery. Not only did they see jewelry that belonged to
Basa on his wife, but they were able to confirm it with Teresita’s
cousin, just as her ghost had supposedly said they could. Of course,
this was not enough to convict the man, but his confession when faced
with the evidence was enough to get him 14 years in jail for murder.

It is hard to say exactly what happened in the case of Teresita Basa

and the reported one-time medium Remy Chua. Chua may have

known that Alan was going to Basa’s apartment and simply did not

have the nerve to come forward until later, at which time she made up

a story to excuse her hesitance. Some of the story as provided by the
Did a supernatural event , ... .

identify Alan Showeiy as the me dia could easily have been sensationalized. Chua could have

suspect? overheard Showery talking about the murder or even have acted on a

hunch. There are other alternatives to the supernatural. However, it is

impossible to rule out the supernatural and this sure is an interesting case with no definite

answers.

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The Ghosts of Versailles - Historic Mysteries

March 9, 2011 historicmysteries.com

It is one of the most famous and most
controversial incidents in the history of the occult.

The Ghosts of Versailles story involves two
English school teachers, Charlotte Anne Moberly
and Eleanor Jourdain. Both came from
respectable families and held respectable
positions at respectable English schools. The two
were in Paris in August of 1901 and on the 10th
they decided to visit the Palace of Versailles,
which neither had visited. They looked around the
sumptuous luxury inside the palace and then, with
the help of a guidebook, they decided to explore the expansive gardens.

They specifically wanted to see a building called the Petit Trianon. Despite having the
guidebook, however, they got lost and wandered into a different part of the garden. Almost
immediately a sense of depression came over them and everything looked odd. Trees
remained deadly still and didn't seem to cast shadows and things didn’t look real, as if the
women had wandered onto a set for a stage play.

As they wandered around the garden, one or both of them saw things that looked very out of
place: men in old-fashioned clothing and hats, old farming equipment sitting out in the open, a
frightening man with a face ravaged by smallpox, a pretty older woman dressed in clothes a
century out of style. Several times these odd people gave the women directions to the Petit
T rianon, but they still seemed to wander about the strange garden. At one point they walked
over a bridge. This would be important later.

When they finally reached the Petit Trianon, everything seemed back to normal. The episode
created such a disturbance in their minds, however, that they compared notes and wondered
if they had walked into a tableau of ghosts.

They began to research Versailles and the Petit T rianon and developed the belief that they
had walked into 1789 and had encountered Versailles during the French Revolution-and that
the pretty older woman had been Marie Antoinette in her last days before imprisonment.

They decided to publish their story, using pseudonyms, and it appeared as “An Adventure ” in
1911. The book soon became popular, although critics claimed the work to be fiction and that
the authors had imagined what they experienced and/or were outright frauds. As proof they
unearthed a contemporary map of the area that showed there was no bridge in the area
Moberly and Jourdain had claimed to cross.

The two came out from behind their pen names and affirmed that everything in the book did
happen. To their advantage, another map from the same period was found in a chimney that

The Petit Trianon

showed the bridge exactly where they said it was.

Overtime the episode would be eagerly examined and differing theories would be posited:
everything from a theater troupe in the area to a journey back in time.

The story continues to fascinate, more than 100 years later.

SOURCES

Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places by Brad Steiger.

The People’s Almanac by David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace.

The Ghosts Of Trianon by C. A. Moberley and Eleanor F. Jourdain.

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The Glowing Cross of Lismore

January 25, 2014 historicmysteries.com

Of the many fascinating divine miracles you will hear about, it is
unlikely that you will hear of anything like this. For the Glowing Cross
of Lismore is one such strange event where a specific crucifix amidst
the burials in the North Lismore Pioneers Cemetery began to glow like
a light bulb, unexpectedly, and rather inexplicably, baffling countless
skeptics, scientists and clergymen who came to investigate.

In 1 907, a very tragic occurrence took place at the
Mullumbimby Station in the town of Lismore in New South Wales,
Australia, when 29-year-old railway worker William Steenson was on
duty as he had to suddenly jump forth to stop a runaway train with
bare hands, in which attempt he was run off by a train and died from a
melancholic death. Steenson was buried at the North Lismore
Pioneers Cemetery and, as a show of respect to his bravery, his family
erected a crucifix made of Scottish Balmoral Granite above his grave.

Some eleven years after his death, during the period of WWI, the granite cross began to
glow. With a brilliant white hue scattering in all sides from its surface, the “Glowing Cross”
managed to attract the attention of the whole town, so much so that it became a part of a
local legend entitled “Ghost of the Hill”. However, this local enigma was safely protected from
the public eye by the townsfolk until in 1978, a local lady described her visit to the miraculous
grave to a reporter of the Northern Star newspapers, who promptly featured a little column in
the next publication about the mystery. Astonishingly, the little column was greatly responded
to by the public, and soon enough, Sydney newspapers picked up the story and published
their own reports. Photographers, faith-holders, T.V crews, skeptics, journalists, light-
refraction specialists and scientists all rushed to the place, and having studied it, came
running with their own speculations. Initially, the cross would glow only occasionally, but later
on, it began to remain luminescent for the entire day, although the glow was visually
distinguishable only from dusk to dawn. It was speculated that the cause of the glow may be
radioactivity, phosphoresce, light reflected from the glossy surface of the cross and even
“petrified glow worms” attaching themselves to it!

Sadly, vandalism followed, and people began to break off pieces from the cross and sell them
off as souvenirs. Finally, in 1986, the cross suddenly disappeared one day, and was never
found again. Suspecting theft, an exact replica of the cross was erected on its original base,
with the same Balmoral Granite material and with the same dimensions. Unfortunately,
although the cross was replicated, the miracle was not. The cross never glowed again as it
did before.

If you visit the cemetery today, you will still find the replica cross standing on the grave, the
Bishop’s inscription on it reading:

The Glowing Cross of
Lismore: Image by All in The
Cards

Sacred to the memory of my

Glowing Cross ofLismore

Dear Husband William Thomas Thurling Steenson,

Who died at Lismore 30th September 1907;
from injuries accidentally received in execution
of his duty at Mullumbimby; aged 29 years

Though sorrow and darkness encompass the tomb,

Thy saviour has pass’d through its darkness before thee...

And the lamp of his Love.

Is thy guide through the gloom.

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The Great Rose Bowl Hoax

hoaxes.org

January 2, 1961: 100,000 spectators filled Pasadena's Rose Bowl stadium to watch the
Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Washington Huskies in the New Year's Day game
(played that year on January 2 because the 1st fell on a Sunday). Millions more watched
around the nation, crowded in front of tv sets in living rooms, restaurants, and bars.

NBC was providing live coverage of the game. At the end of the first half the Huskies led 1 7
to 0, and the audience settled in to watch the half-time show for which the Washington
marching band had prepared an elaborate flip-card routine.

Sets of variously colored flip cards and an instruction sheet had been left on seats in the
section of the stadium where the Washington students were located. When the students
heard the signal from the cheerleaders, they were each supposed to hold up the appropriate
flip card (as designated by the instruction sheet) over their head. In this way different gigantic
images would be formed that would be visible to the rest of the stadium, as well as to those
viewing at home. The Washington band planned on displaying a series of fifteen flip-card
images in total.

The flip-card show got off to a well-coordinated start. Everything went smoothly, and the
crowd marvelled at the colorful images forming, as if by magic, at the command of the
cheerleaders. It wasn’t until the 12th image that things began to go a little wrong. This image
was supposed to depict a husky, Washington's mascot. But instead a creature appeared that
had buck teeth and round ears. It looked almost like a beaver.

The next image was even worse. The word 'HUSKIES' was supposed to unfurl from left to
right. But for some reason the word was reversed, so that it now read 'SEIKSUH'.

These strange glitches rattled the Washington cheerleaders. They wondered if they might
have made some careless mistakes when designing the complex stunt. But there was
nothing for them to do about it now except continue on, and so they gave the signal for the
next image.

What happened next has lived on in popular memory long after the rest of the 1961 Rose
Bowl has been forgotten. It was one of those classic moments when a prank comes together
instantly, perfectly, and dramatically.

The word 'CALTECH' appeared, held aloft by hundreds of Washington students. The name
towered above the field in bold, black letters and was broadcast to millions of viewers
nationwide.

Fora few seconds the stadium was plunged into a baffled silence. Everyone knew what
Caltech was. It was that little Pasadena technical college down the road from the Rose Bowl
stadium. What no one could figure out was what its name was doing in the middle of

Washington's flip-card show. Throughout
the United States, a million minds
simultaneously struggled to comprehend
this enigma.

In fact, only a handful of people watching
the game understood the full significance
of what had just happened, and these
were the Caltech students who had
labored for the past month to secretly
alter Washington's flip-card show.

Details of how the prank was pulled off
were first revealed a few weeks after the game in an article written by Lance Taylor, Caltech
class of 1962. The article appeared in the Caltech magazine Engineering and Science.

The idea for the prank had apparently arisen out of the indignation that a group of Caltech
students (who would come to be known as the "Fiendish Fourteen") felt at Caltech's lack of
representation at the Rose Bowl's famous New Year's Day game. After all, the Rose Bowl
stadium was right in Caltech's backyard, and the Caltech team often played there. But every
year the technical college, despite its many merits, was entirely ignored in the hype building
up to the game. This group of students decided to rectify the situation. They determined to
make sure that Caltech got some recognition at the upcoming game. Washington's flip-card
show seemed to be the perfect vehicle for achieving their goal.

Pulling off the prank required obtaining a detailed knowledge of how Washington's flip-card
system worked. This knowledge was acquired by one of them posing as a curious reporter
from a local Los Angeles high school, and asking Washington's head cheerleader to explain it
to them. The cheerleader happily shared all the details.

What the Fiendish Fourteen discovered was that to alter the show it would simply be
necessary to change what was written on the instruction sheets that would be left on the
seats -- all 2,232 of them — blocked off for the Washington fans. This was a daunting task, but
the Fiendish Fourteen were up to it.

They staked out the hotel where the Washington cheerleaders were staying. When the
cheerleaders were away they broke into their rooms and removed a single instruction sheet.
This they took to a printer and had him print up 2,232 exact duplicates, at a cost of $30. A
moment of panic occurred when it was realized that the new sheets looked conspicuously
less worn than the old ones. But it was decided that since the sheets would be replaced en
masse, this lack of aging might not be noticed.

Then each sheet had to be individually marked up by hand according to Caltech's new master
plan, so that the seat numbers and card designations would be correct. This was done all in
one marathon session on New Year’s Eve at Lloyd House, the home of the Fiendish
Fourteen. When the task was done, three students were dispatched back to the hotel of the
Washington cheerleaders to switch the old sheets with the new, altered ones. The

cheerleaders, as was known beforehand, were away from their rooms visiting Disneyland.

The switch completed successfully, the Fiendish Fourteen sat back and nervously waited for
their scheme to come to fruition.

Luck was on the fiendish fourteen's side. All the elements of the plan came together better
than they had imagined possible. The first eleven images of the flip-card show had been left
basically unaltered, to allay suspicion. The first real alteration occurred with the 12th image,
which had been changed from a husky to a beaver, Caltech's mascot. This change was
subtle enough that it escaped the attention of most of the game's audience. The 13th image
had been flipped so that it read 'SEIKSUH' instead of 'HUSKIES'. The Fiendish Fourteen
knew that viewers would chalk this up to simple error. But these changes were a mere build-
up to the 14th image, the unveiling of 'CALTECH' itself.

At the moment when Caltech’s name unfurled across the stadium, NBC's cameras were
focused directly on the flip-card show, providing the best possible vantage point for viewers
across the nation to watch the ensuing drama. Washington's band, upon seeing the gigantic
rogue name leering down at them from the stands, immediately stopped playing, and silence
descended on the stadium. Even the television announcers were momentarily speechless.

For a few seconds silent tension enveloped the entire stadium. Finally the significance of
what had just happened began to sink in, and then the laughter began.

Infuriated, the Washington band marched off the field, refusing to give the signal for the 15th,
and final, image (which unbeknownst to them had been left unaltered). Gradually the laughter
died down and the game continued. The Washington team managed to maintain its lead
during the second half but didn't score any more points. The final score was 17-7.

To this day the Great Rose Bowl Hoax, as it was soon dubbed, remains one of the best
known college pranks ever perpetrated. Neil Steinberg, author of a classic study of college
pranks, If At All Possible Involve a Cow: The Book of College Pranks, wrote that "few college
pranks can be said to be more grandly conceived, carefully planned, flawlessly executed, and
publicly dramatic" than the Rose Bowl Hoax.

It was the sheer public spectacle of the prank that set it apart -- that it was staged not just at a
college football game, but at the nationally televised Rose Bowl, probably the most famous
annual college football game of all.

Of course, not everyone was amused. Jack Briggs, student body president of the University
of Washington in 1961 , was quoted as saying, "No hard feelings, but at the time it was
unbelievable. We were amazed and still feel the prank was not in the best of taste." J. Gordon
Gose, Washington's faculty athletic representative, said, "Some thought it was ingenious;
others were indignant. It wasn't new -- it had been done before -- but it was a surprise. It was
another college prank and we have learned not to be disturbed."

The Rose Bowl hoax was not the first college prank that involved sabotaging a halftime flip-
card show. Nor would it be the last.

In 1957 a University of Southern California student infiltrated the UCLA rally committee by

posing as a UCLA student. He kept up this ruse for weeks, commuting between the two
campuses in order to attend each meeting. The night before the Trojan-Bruin game he
managed to swap around some of the colored display squares to be used in the next day's
halftime show. The result of this sabotage was that the letters "USC" appeared in red and
gold in the corner of UCLA's flip-card routine. No matter how often the card-trick manager
gave the signal to change the display, the letters remained in place, much to the delight of the
USC fans on the opposite side of the stadium.

In 1984 a group of Caltech students attempted to repeat and surpass the 1961 hoax by
hacking into the Rose Bowl stadium's electronic scoreboard system and posting rogue
messages during that years New Year's Day game. While technically more sophisticated than
the first Rose Bowl hoax, this second hoax lacked the shock value that the first one achieved.

Harvard-Yale game, November 20, 2004 On November 20,
2004, at the annual Harvard-Yale football game, Yale
students tricked Harvard fans into holding up cards that
spelled out "WE SUCK." The Harvard fans, many of whom
were alumni, thought the cards would spell out "GO
HARVARD." The Yale students convinced the Harvard
supporters to hold up the cards by posing as the "Harvard
Pep Squad." In reality, no such organization exists. The Yale students later made $3000 by
selling copies of a photo of the prank. They donated this money to a Tsunami Relief Fund.

Darby-Davidson game, August 24, 2007 On August 24,
2007, students at Hilliard Davidson High School in Ohio
imitated the Yale "WE SUCK" prank during a game
against rival Darby High School. They left cards and
directions on stadium seats, informing Darby fans the
cards would spell "GO DARBY.” Instead, the message
read "WE SUCK." A video of the prank appeared on
YouTube. The Davidson students received three days of in-school suspension as punishment
for the prank.

• Willard A. Dodge, Jr., Reuben B. Moulton, Harrison W. Sigworth and Adrian C. Smith,
Jr. "The Great Rose Bowl Hoax", in Legends of Caltech.

• Neil Steinberg, If At All Possible Involve a Cow: The Book of College Pranks. St.
Martin's Press. 1992: 60-65.

• "How Washington Said 'Caltech': Impish Students Shuffled Cards." (Jan 27, 1961).
The New York Times: 26.

• "Huskies won in Rose Bowl but lost to ingenuity of Cal Tech students." (Jan 27,

1961). Washington Post: A21.

• Jerome Hall. (Nov 18, 1962). "Pranks on the College Level." Independent Press-
Telegram. Southland Magazine insert: 10, 18.

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What YouTube video of the Darby prank?

Posted by makenna scott in sparks, nevada on Mon Jan 26, 2015 at 08:00 PM

The Haensa - Thorir Saga: A tale of law in Medieval Iceland ancient-origins.net

26 March, 2015 - 03:12Ryan Stone

The Haensa - Thorir Saga: A tale of
law in Medieval Iceland

One of the more political Icelandic
sagas, the tale of Haensna-Rorir
remains an interesting view into the
legal proceedings of Iceland in the
ninth century. The legal conflict
woven throughout the text speaks
volumes about the struggle that

persisted in Iceland following the

Ingolfr Arnarson, the first settler of Iceland, newly arrived in Reykjavik. Go | den Age of the republic, rectified

when Norway took control of its lands in the 1 1th century. Furthermore, the saga deals with
the morals of society in a fascinating way, painting law breakers and lawful men alike as
honorable, generous, or venal.

The Haensna-Rorir Saga opens with a brief description of the men who came to the region of
Burgfirth in Iceland, a district under the direction of Odd-a-Tongue, both chieftain and
lawspeaker. Among the people who arrived in Burgfirth were Erne and Haensna-Rorir. Erne
and Odd-a-Tongue immediately butted heads, as Erne chose to stay in Burgfirth for the
winter and sell his wares for money, but Odd-a-Tongue would not allow him to set his own
prices. Further, Odd-a-Tongue denied Erne the ability to trade at all.

Haensna-Rorir entered the scene as a fellow trader who was greatly disliked and initially very
poor. He traveled to Holtbeacon Heath and, by selling hens, made a great fortune for himself.
Unfortunately for his circumstances, however, word spread of his lack of likeability and few
people desired to have dealings with him. Despite this, Haensna-Rorir determined to make up
for this absence of support by visiting the priest Angrim and requesting to foster Angrim's son,
Helgi. Though Angrim also did not like Haansna-Rorir, Haansna-Borir offered monetary
compensation to Helgi that swayed Angrim, and Haensna-Borir and Angrim entered into an
alliance kept together by this relationship.

The tale then turned to tell of Blundketil, a landowner with high moral values and an
empathetic tendency toward his tenants. When a particularly tough winter did not allow for
many of the occupiers to properly ration their hay — to feed themselves and to use to pay
Blundketil — he allowed many of them to owe him at a later date. Yet, this quickly became a
sustenance battle, as neither landowner nor tenants could feed their animals, making
slaughter a difficult, undesirable task. This took a toll on the food store for the winter months,
so Blundketil took it upon himself to come to a solution.

With a large amount of money, he traveled to the farm of Haensna-Borir and offered him the
sum for a portion of Haensna-Borir's hay. Haensna-Rorir, to everyone's knowledge, —

including his own — had plenty of hay to for all the wanting parties but refused, for no reason
other than apparent greed. Concerned for his folk, Blundketil took a percentage of the hay
anyway leaving the money, in his mind settling the debt between the two of them. Haensna-
b>6rir, however, was not pleased.

Egili Skallagrimsson in a 1 7th-
century manuscript of the Egiis
Saga.

In medieval Iceland,
compensation was the
usual way to solve
robbery disputes. With
the refusal of Blundketil’s

Althing with the Logsogumadur (Lawgiver) calling the money, Thorvald was
body to order atthe Logberg (Law Rock). forced to find an

adequate compensation for Haensna-horir, and did so by declaring Blundketil a thief to be
punished. This greatly pleased Hasnsna-horir, but not quite to the extent he wished.
Haensna-bwir wanted Blundketil to suffer.

Egili Skallagrimsson in a 17th-century manuscript of the Egiis
Saga. Public Domain

Haensna-t>6rir believed himself legally wronged by this deed and
resolved to have Blundketil persecuted. Because of his dislike
though, no one would take his case until he met Thorvald, the son
of Odd-a-T ongue. Thorvald brought the two men together to
assuage the accusations, but Haensna-b»6rir adamantly refused to
take the money Blundketil offered, creating a large legal problem.

This painting depicts an
early meeting of Iceland’s
Althing with the
Logsogumadur
(Lawgiver) calling the
body to order at the
Logberg (Law Rock).

An opportunity for vengeance against Blundketil was presented when a house guest of
Blundketil — Erne, in fact — chose to avenge the kind landowner and shot at Haensna-horir
with his bow. When the arrow slew Helgi instead of Haensna-t’orir, though, Haensna-horir
thus had a reason to attack Blundketil. Together, Thorvald and Haansna-b>6rir burned
Blundketil's farm to the ground with Blundketil still inside.

The saga of Haansna-horir came to a close when the son of Blundketil, Herstein, decided to
avenge his father. He went abroad to gather supporters, and then took his case to the
Althing, the governmental body of Iceland at the time. On his way to the Althing however,
Haensna-b>orir himself assaulted Herstein and Herstein's company with his own small army of
twelve. Herstein defended himself and got vengeance for his father when he beheaded
Haensna-borir; the feud between the two of them finally came to an end.

__ . V .1 flgKgilii

illustration of bloody battle during an Icelandic Saga involving

Haakon Sigurdarson (Haakon Jarl). 1 899.

Illustration of bloody battle during an
Icelandic Saga involving Haakon
Sigurdarson (Haakon Jarl). 1899. Public
Domain

Though the saga is one of the shorter
ones, it interests scholars
predominately for its legal
documentation. In medieval Iceland,
there were two types of laws in place:
natural and positive. Natural referred
to the laws of nature — that is to say,
the morals of a culture. Positive law
was defined as the laws made by men.

The Haensna-Poris Saga is an example to academics of how these laws ceased to suit
Iceland's needs as time passed, and the culture moved away from its republican ideals. The
titular character is intended to serve as an illustration of one of the ways in which both the
natural law and existing positive law could fail, thus requiring the law-speakers to attempt to
adjust it accordingly so that justice was served. The legal struggle is seemingly the intent of
the Saga of Haensna-Poris, thereby providing written evidence for the conflict Iceland was
soon to face.

Featured imagei lngolf tager Island i besiddelse’ by P. Raadsig, 1850, depicting Ingot fr
Arnarson, the first settler of Iceland, newly arrived in Reykjavik. (Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography

"The Hasnsna-Porir Saga." Iskendur Sagna-Grunnur. Accessed February 23, 2014.
http://www.sagadb.org/haensna-thoris_saga.en

Long, Roderick T. "The Decline and Fall of Private Law in Iceland." Formulations, Spring

1 994. http://www.freenati 0 n. 0 rg/a/fl 311 .html

Malcolm, Thomas. "The War of Laws: Hen-Thorir's Saga." The Cross Section: An Exploration
of All Things Nordic. May 27, 2014. Accessed February 23, 2015.
http://thecrosssection.com/2014/05/27/the-war-of-laws-hen-thorirs-saga/.

Miller, William Ian. Bloodtaking and Peacemaking: Feud, Law, and Society in Saga Iceland
(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990.)

Miller, William Ian. "Avoiding Legal Judgment: The Submission of Disputes to Arbitration in
Medieval Iceland." The American Journal of Legal History, April 1984, 28.2.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/845219

Penack, William. The Conflict of Law and Justice in the Icelandic Sagas (Amsterdam: Rodopi,

1995. )

The Haunted Brothel - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

The area surrounding Williams Mill in Scott County, Virginia, has seen
many changes in the past century. Perhaps the most notable is the
demolition of several historic houses in the 1 970s to make way for
new land development. The McClelland house was one such casualty.
Unfortunately, the incredible history surrounding this home was also
nearly forgotten.

Joe McClelland lived in the house during the 1890s, when the home's
supernatural activity became widely known. The home was older even
then, and was known for its past as a bawdy house. The home had
frequent owners after the original builders moved out, and if rented,
had even more frequent tenants. McClelland knew the house was
originally a brothel, but didn't believe anything was wrong with the
house itself. It had been years since the cathouse closed and only a
few locals could even remember it. The building needed a little repair
work, but nothing that was too difficult for him to manage. He moved
in with his family and they began returning the home to a livable state.

They soon realized their home was not like others. Muddy hand and footprints appeared on their sheets
as quickly as they changed them. They were tiny prints, like those of an infant. Strange noises and infant
cries were frequently heard. Tiny handprints appeared on furniture when there were no infants or small
children in the house. Joe's nephew, Floyd McClelland, visited to help his uncle work on the house. He
was unable to stay for long. Every time he tried to go to sleep, the covers were yanked off him and pulled
into the floor.

Sometimes the family heard crashing and rumbling. Sometimes they heard something dragged across
the floorboards. At first, Joe thought the dragging sounds came from vermin. He pulled up the
floorboards to look under the home and found several spots where something appeared to be buried.
The family dug them up and found tiny human skeletons wrapped in burlap. Every one had a small hole
at the crown of its head. The family assumed the working women killed their babies by shoving a hatpin
through the crown of their heads.

It wasn't just under the floorboards. A short time later, several fishermen were at the pond next to the
house. One among them pulled up a glass jar containing infant remains. It had been weighted with rocks
and tossed into the water. Before long, the fishermen had found a number of jars, all with the same
gruesome contents.

McClelland's family continued to suffer the unusual activity and, finally, his wife grew ill. She died soon
after her symptoms began. McClelland saddled his horse that night to inform her father. A growling
creature soon arose from the bushes beside his home. It was almost as big as his horse. He emptied the
pistol into the monster, but bullets didn't sway it. The creature neared and the horse bolted when was
within arms-length. Fortunately, it couldn't keep up with the steed and he soon left it behind.

McClelland immediately moved his family after his wife's death. He never witnessed the creature again.
From all known history, the house remained empty until it's razing.

by admin • January 27, 2015

A) W)

Rare photograph of the “Baby House" as it
was being demolished.

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Heroic all-female battalion fighting on frontline in war-torn
Aleppo

19:42 EST, 4 January 2015 \

19:42 EST, 4 January 201 5 dailymail.CO.uk

The heroic all-female battalion fighting on the frontline in war-torn Aleppo (who also
run two field hospitals AND a police station)

• All-female battalion provides aid and security in war-torn Aleppo in Syria

• Armed and in camouflage, the Mother Aisha group patrol the streets

• They manage two field hospitals and a police station for female detainees

• Group took up arms to support the Free Syrian Army in the fight against
President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria's civil war

By Khaleda Rahman for MailOnline

These extraordinary pictures give a glimpse into the daily lives of the women who form an all-
female battalion, which provides aid and security in war-torn Aleppo in Syria.

Pictured as they sit in shooting positions and walking the streets in uniform, the women
operate as a full military unit as well as managing two field hospitals for injured fighters.

But one woman is seen performing ordinary tasks like crocheting while working in a hospital
and others hold up the peace sign as they pose for pictures in cars.

Scroll down for video

Members of the all-female Mother
Aisha battalion, pictured yesterday, ride
in a vehicle in Aleppo, Syria

Armed women dressed in camouflage
climb through a hole in a wall in a
house on the Aleppo Castle frontline

The group of women - known as the
Mother Aisha battalion - took up arms
to support the Free Syrian Army in the
fight against President Bashar al-
Assad's regime in Syria's civil war.

The women who make up this force operate as fighters on the Old Aleppo frontline, but are
also in charge of two medical field hospitals and a police station for women detainees.

Armed and dressed in full camouflage, the members patrol the streets of Aleppo alongside
their male counterparts.

A member of the Mother Aisha battalion
crochets a garment while resting at a
field hospital in Aleppo

Members of the all-female battalion sit
in shooting position behind sandbags in
a damaged house on the Aleppo Castle
frontline

Earlier this week, at least 1 9 people
were killed by Syrian rebel fire on
government-controlled parts of Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said the dead included at least
five children, three of whom were killed
with their mother when a rocket hit the
car they were in.

The Britain-based group said at least
32 people were also wounded in
Thursday night's rocket attack in the
western part of the city.

And on Friday, three people including a
pregnant woman were killed by a
ground-to-ground missile fired by
government forces at a rebel district in
eastern Aleppo, the Observatory said.

Aleppo was once Syria's economic hub,
but the city has been ravaged by
fighting that began in middle of 2012.

The city is divided with government
forces controlling the western part and
rebels controlling the east.

However, government forces have
advanced steadily around the eastern
outskirts of the city, threatening to besiege opposition-held districts.

More than 200,000 people have reportedly been killed in Syria since the beginning of the
conflict in March 2011.

Responsible for providing aid and security, the group, controlled by the Free Syrian Army,
carry weapons as they walk the streets of Aleppo

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The Hinterkaifeck Murders

June 5, 2013

historicmysteries.com

The Hinterkaifeck farm was situated about 70
miles north of Munich, Germany. In the early
1920s, it was occupied by Andreas Gruber, his
wife Cazilia, their middle-aged daughter, and their
two grandchildren. It was a large farm near a
forest.

There was nothing particularly unusual about the
farm or its occupants.

Were the Hinterkaifeck deaths a paranormal event or
did someone get a way with murder?

The first sign of something amiss took place in
late 1921, when the family maid suddenly quit,
citing that the farm was haunted. It would take the
Grubers until the end of March of 1922 to find a

new maid.

Also at the end of March, strange phenomenon began. Andreas would tell neighbors that one
day he found strange footsteps leading from the forest to the farmhouse, but, oddly, there
were no footprints going back into the forest. Soon after he began to hear the sound of
footsteps in the attic. A set of keys went missing. A newspaper, not one subscribed to by the
Grubers, was found nearby.

Friday, May 31st, was the last time anyone saw any of the Gruber family.

On April 4th, neighbors became concerned about the absence of the Grubers in town or
church or school. The neighbors went to investigate and found the bodies of Andreas, his
wife, their daughter, and one of the grandchildren in the barn. They had been stacked up-one
on top of the other-like toys. In the farmhouse they found the bodies of the new maid and the
other grandchild.

The police were called and an investigation began. On April 5th, autopsies on the corpses
revealed that all of the Gruber household had been killed with a pickaxe. The autopsies
placed the date of death to be March 31st.

This seemed impossible. Police took witness statements that said that smoke was seen
coming out of the chimney over the weekend and the cattle appeared to have been fed and
cared for during that time as well. Remnants of recently-eaten meals were found in the
kitchen. The police could only come to the bizarre conclusion that the murderer(s) killed the
Gruber family on Friday and then, for whatever reason, remained at the farmhouse for a few
days before vanishing from the area.

Despite a thorough investigation, nobody was ever arrested for the Hinterkaifeck murders.
The police eventually became so desperate that they sent the victims’ skulls to famous

psychics for possible leads.

Although its details have not spread to other countries, the case remains well-known within
Germany, and movies and novels from that country which are based on the tale have enjoyed
great popularity in the years since the crimes.

References:

“Hinterkaifeck”, Wikipedia, pulled 6/3/13.

“The Mysterious Hinterkaifeck Murders”, Exciting Earth! website, pulled 6/3/13.

“Hinterkaifeck”, Armchair Detective website, pulled 6/3/13.

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The Holly Oak Pendant

hoaxes.org

In 1889 Hilborne T. Cresson, an archaeological assistant at Harvard's Peabody Museum,
announced he had discovered a prehistoric seashell pendant that bore an engraving of a
woolly mammoth. He said he had found it in a peat and forest layer near the Holly Oak
railway station in northern Delaware.

The pendant was an important
find, since it suggested that
prehistoric man must have been
present in the Americas at the
time when woolly mammoths still
existed, tens of thousands of
years ago. However, the
pendant was almost immediately
suspected of being fake.

One reason for suspicion was
holly oak pendant the unusual circumstance of its

discovery. Cresson claimed he had discovered it in 1864, when he was a teenager, in the
company of his music teacher, Mr. Saurault. He offered no explanation for why he had waited
twenty-five years to share the discovery, even though its significance should have been
obvious to him — especially since his music teacher was himself a student of archaeology.

A second reason for doubt was that the carving on the pendant bore a strong resemblance to
an engraving on a mammoth tusk found in 1 864 at La Madeleine, France by Eduard Lartet
(with whom Cresson's music teacher had studied). The La Madeleine carving had established
that humans and mammoths had once lived together in Europe. It seemed as if whoever had
carved the Holly Oak pendant had copied the La Madeleine engraving.

Doubts

deepened even
further when
Cresson was
fired from the
Peabody in
1891, after it was
found he had
been stealing
specimens from
a dig in Ohio.
Cresson

La Madeleine

subsequently began to display signs of mental derangement. According to his obituary in the
New York Times, he began to tell people that he and his son Emlen were wanted criminals,
having forged a number of U.S. Treasury certificates. He committed suicide in 1894 by
shooting himself in the head. He left a suicide note saying he was "suspected of
counterfeiting, and that Secret Service detectives were continually on his trail." Apparently
there was no evidence he had forged treasury certificates, or that he was being pursued by
detectives. These were paranoid delusions.

The Holly Oak Pendant was all but forgotten until the 1970s, when several researchers, John
Kraft and Ronald Thomas, found it in a drawer at the Smithsonian and decided to reexamine
it. They concluded that it might actually be a genuine artifact made by a prehistoric artist.

SCIENCE v

iHiucti AiiecuTioa ru tit iivucuiit or iciiaci

holly oak pendant

In an article that appeared in the 21 May 1976 issue of Science,
Kraft and Thomas noted that they couldn't find any obvious signs
that the pendant had been forged. For instance, the carving
showed the same amount of weathering as the shell surface,
suggesting the carving was as old as the shell itself. They
suggested that the pendant could date from the early to middle
Holocene epoch (8000 to 4000 be). An illustration of the pendant
was featured on the cover of the same issue of Science.

However, many in the archaeological community remained
unconvinced. In 1988, David Meltzer of Southern Methodist
University subjected the pendant to radiocarbon analysis. He
concluded that the shell dated to around ad 885, far too late for it
to have been contemporaneous with woolly mammoths.

Meltzer noted there were other reasons for doubting the authenticity of the pendant. For
instance, it was unusual that the engraving would appear sideways when the pendant was
worn. Engravings on Amerindian pendants typically are viewed upright. Also, it was
implausible that the shell could have survived 10,000 years in the acidic environment of the
peat layer where it was supposedly found.

Today the consensus is that the pendant is a fake created in the nineteenth century by
Cresson.

• Meltzer, D.J. & W.C. Sturtevant. (Jan 18, 1985). "The Holly Oak Pendant." Science
227(4684): 242 + 244 + 246.

• Wilson, T & E.P. Upham. Prehistoric art; or, The origin of art as manifested in the
works of prehistoric man. 1898.

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The Hound of Mons

February 8, 2014

historicmysteries.com

During the bitterly cold days of WW1, with bloody
conflicts and political tensions raging in the entire
world, soldiers separated from families, forced to
serve at the nation’s borders to satisfy political
greed veiled under nationalism, legends were
common. Some men dreamt of angels hovering
down the skies to save mankind, while others
fetched tall tales of cannibalistic ghouls and
ruthless demons being employed by countries to
crush their opponents. But amidst the clouds of
false legends and rumors, one spine-chilling tale
surrounding the little town of Mons has quite some factual base.

Angel of Mons

During the first monumental turn of the WW1 , heavily outnumbered British troops set out to
corner German soldiers at the Battle of Mons during 22-23 August 1914. A tedious fight
followed, although the Germans were thrown back, British soldiers sustained fatal wounds. In
this difficult turn of events, everyone was looking for a ray of hope - a miracle. On 24th April
1915, the British Spiritualist magazine produced a column detailing the strange events that
took place during the Battle of Mons, when several angels descended from the heavens,
bows in their hands, to defend the British army. Many more claims surfaced, with varying
details. The story became such an inspiration to the masses, British, French and Russian,
that any claims of it being false were taken as treason. The leaders seemed to be deliberately
spreading the legend as they delivered sermons, to inspire the wearied soldiers. However,
there was another tale, much more fearsome and sinister, that had developed in this little
town.

The Hound of Mons

A fascinating chronicle was published in 1919 by Canadian veteran F. J. Newhouse,
describing the story of the gigantic otherworldly hound that mauled over British soldiers in No
Man’s Land. The publishing claimed that this hound wasn’t your typical Hellhound or
phantom, but the intentional creation of a horrific German experiment. According to
Newhouse, Dr. Gottlieb Hochmuller had been performing an array of experiments to develop
a powerful weapon to sway the war in Germany’s favor. He roamed from one asylum to
another, and finally found a man who had gone mad in his hatred for England. He then
extracted the brain out of the madman with the consent of the German Government and
inserted it into the skull of a Siberian wolfhound. While the madman died, the dog, with tender
nursing, grew powerful and notorious. Once ready, it was set free to hunt down British
soldiers in the battlefield of Mons. But is there any truth in this unbelievable legend? Perhaps
yes.

The Hound on its Prowl

The days of nightmare began on November 14, 1914, when Captain Yeskes and four
associates from the London Fusiliers went to patrol the No Man’s Land. They never returned.
After many days there cadavers were recovered, with teeth marks on their throats. Nights
later a petrifying howl was heard from the darkness. From then on, more and more soldiers
would die in the No Man’s Land, with the same canine imprints on their throats. Every now
and then, a howl was heard, and sentries dreadingly noticed a big gray brute tread the
grounds of the No Man’s Land. Days after, the hound disappeared, never to be seen again.

At that time, civilians were suspicious of the story, and rightly so, after all, this seems to be
something right out of an Edgar Allan Poe horror fiction! Newhouse claimed that certain
secret ‘papers’ had been released from Hochmuller’s house, which proved the legend.
Unfortunately, the papers were never again heard of. For now, the Hound of Mons has to just
take its position amongst the many myths and fictions of old battlefields.

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The House of Ghostly Music - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

The home might’ve been a famous haunted house
at one time, but it’s prominence has been
forgotten. The historic structure burned down
some time ago. It takes a bit of research to locate
any information on the Old Hart Place in Hiltons,
Virginia. This local attraction once had visitors
from all across Southwest Virginia, but no one
ever learned what made it so haunted.

Mann Hart, brother of notable Scott County
patriarch Elijah Hart, built his home on the side of
the Holston River, opposite his brother, in the
1830s. While he never achieved the same social
recognition, he did achieve success. Mann was
300 pounds of legend and mystery during his
lifetime, and said to have been as tall as a bear.
His farm encompassed 300 acres of fertile land in the decades prior to the Civil War.

His two-story home was an impressive antebellum structure that sat on the riverbank. Locals
were never certain just how Mann achieved his wealth, but many noticed that travelers often
came to his house and were never seen again. Rumors traveled that Hart took in wealthy
boarders and killed them for their riches. He buried their bodies somewhere around the
house.

The house fell into obscurity for over a century after Mann’s ownership, but locals never
stopped talking about it or their experiences. The house seemed to come alive. Long before
the establishment of electricity, every room in the Hart house was known to light up of its own
accord, simultaneously. A family cemetery was started at some point around the house. The
property later became known as the, “Marston House."

A newer house was eventually built and the historic house was rented out. Many people tried
to live there, but no one stayed for long. It eventually belonged to the Marston family and by
the 1950s, a family named Graham attempted to live there, but they were forced to leave, as
well.

By this time, John F. Miller owned the place. Miller was a successful businessman in
Kingsport, Tennessee. Years after the Graham’s vacated the premises, the house was falling
to ruin. Miller held an open reward for brave souls. Any individual who stayed there a single
night would be paid $25. He never had to pay a single person.

A group of skeptics gathered at the house in January of 1966, several months before the
auction. By this point, the house was covered in thin white paint and had green shutters. The
interior was paneled with yellow poplar that still had square-head iron nails, or “cut nails,”
from its early construction.

AUCTION!

OLD DOMINION ANGUS FARM
CATTLE & MACHINERY

153 ACRES - 153 ACRES

u. Df Ktm.i rmt rr wltorA »f Hcota nw.

NEAR HILTONS, VIRGINIA

Tiir» «ff Hm. Ho.
Mrn— Hin-tr in n»p

t mi Ban af llilwn, V«.. be Ha a??, int mtwc

10:30 A.M.-Salurday, June 25

Una X*my HuirJtcd W..: < 7i fieri. Tfc* Kalto

Mite Are till el Man- 1 «»l Clin 4|W1I all juiU n( Ihe i-uii.il I jU rrr

link luJurvtil pin* Altff I Cfr*! hjc.-t Ivin 2 taicn ml oiler nakSnUi • r- w»i, • r*4
lh «ok Kftwr tnaMF'IHU&IQBIiOCO ALWmirwr 14 MTO?

roWf but

The men spent the night chasing sounds between the house and the barn. They heard
thumping and thrashing, and the sounds of struggle. They heard faint whispers and
eventually ghostly music began to play. They searched the house and surrounding buildings
for the music's source, but never found a point of origin.

A variety of stories was associated with the house. Here they are in as much detail as can be
presented, while maintaining their historic integrity.

Levitation Room

The upstairs bedroom was the most haunted room in the house. No individual could sleep
there without their bedclothes being ripped from their bodies. If the sleeper tried to hold on to
the fabric, the covers levitated from the bed until they touched the ceiling.

A Bloody Handprint

A migrant farming family lived in the home during the 1920s. They weren’t sociable in the
community, and had no interest in befriending their landlord or their neighbors. They simply
wanted to be left alone. Those living near them respected their wishes. Later on, neighbors
learned the father was an abusive alcoholic, but sobriety had no impact on his disposition. He
was just as physically and verbally vicious with his family sober as he was when he was
drunk.

One night, on a particularly drunken evening, he became enraged. He pushed his wife down
the stairs, but she caught the rail a few steps down. He stabbed her with his hunting knife and
kicked her body. When she landed on the floor below, she had enough life left to try and get
up. She only managed to leave a bloody handprint on the board beside the first step. When
he realized she was dead, he went outside with his pistol and shot himself.

Decades after the tragedy, no amount of scrubbing or sanding could remove it. The board
was replaced several times and the print always reappeared on the new wood.

2 comments for “The House of Ghostly Music”

1. I presume these stories at the end are confirmed to be true? They do resonate with
the same kind of vibes as many other stories: (1 ) levitation during waking moments, (2)
the violent father kills his family in a rage and then kills himself, (3) the bloody hand print
that won't go away. If these are TRUE, they enhance the intrigue of the entire story.

No investigations were ever conducted? No one attempted to dig up the grounds for
bodies to confirm the suspicions? If the man was suspected of murder, the authorities
would have looked into the case, even during the mid-19th century. If they hadn’t, that
strange inaction in itself adds to the overall mystery.

The skeptics had strange experiences and found no sources. I wonder how this resulted
in terms of their belief system. I presume they left the scene not so disbelieving as
before, at least the fact that their story has carried on would suggest that turn of
circumstances.

Great account, Laura. Thanks for writing and sharing.

o Hi, Mark! No, there’s no concrete documentation, which is why I put it in the
Storytelling section. I’m trying to amass both historic data as well as legend and
lore for the region.

As far as I know, no serious efforts were made to do much of anything with the
home. There was a group who stayed there in the 1960s, and they were plagued
with activity, but it was auctioned off months later. As far as I know now, both the
old house and the newer one have burned to the ground. It’s a very sad loss. The
skeptics were determined to remain skeptics, but their skepticism was noticeably
shaken. We had a generation or two before now who believed if you ignored it,
and didn’t talk about it, it went away. So now we’re left to gather scraps of stories
and try to make a cohesive chain of events, as well as find any legitimate
documentation of the events (if there is any). It often doesn't work, but I figure just
because we can’t validate it today doesn’t mean we won’t be able to tomorrow.
There’s always new and previously unknown information becoming available.

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The Hundred-Million-Dollar Robbery of the U.S. Treasury

hoaxes.org

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ft ui!t|1 tilting 11141 ju ron .’rrnillfiemt. oujugrbrn imUrlfl'jm ituife —

Berliner Tageblatt-Apr 1, 1905

On April 1, 1905 the Berliner Tageblatt broke the
news of a shocking and massive crime. All the
gold and silver in the U.S. Federal Treasury had
been stolen. A group of thieves funded by
American millionaires had tunneled beneath the
Treasury and robbed it from below, getting away
with over $268,000,000. The U.S. Government
was said to be desperately trying to conceal the
crime, even as its forces chased the criminals
across the oceans of the world.

The Berliner Tageblatt detailed the amazing
process by which the theft had been achieved.

All told, it had taken three years and had only been made possible because it had been
bankrolled by a group of American ’Robber Baron’ multimillionaires.

First, the criminals bought a building that stood on the opposite side of the Potomac River
from the Treasury building in Washington D.C. This building, which they disguised as a
factory, served as cover for the tunneling operation.

Then they tunneled directly beneath the river, coming up beneath the Treasury on the
opposite shore. All the gold and silver was quickly removed and transported through the
tunnel by means of electric cars and loaded into small submarines that took it down the river
to ships waiting in the open sea. Once the treasure was loaded into the ships, the thieves
departed at full speed and hadn't been seen since.

The entire report was, of course, an April
Fool's Day hoax. And yet it succeeded in
completely fooling much of the German
media, which lost no time in reprinting the
news of this remarkable crime. From
Germany, the news spread to Austria,
Hungary, and other neighboring countries.
One magazine even created an illustration
that showed the exact location of the
tunnel beneath the Potomac. (I'm not sure

what magazine it was, but the illustration

An illustration created by a German maqazine that shows the . , . , , ,,

location of the tunnel beneath the Potomac was wldel V reprinted by Other newspapers

throughout the world.)

The story was soon revealed to be a hoax, and the Berliner Tageblatt gloated at the success
of its joke. But the revelation of the hoax then made front page news throughout the world,

especially in America where reporters were amazed that their German counterparts had so
easily fallen for what seemed like an absurd claim. The Americans noted that the hoax had
doubtless succeeded so well because it played upon the somewhat fanciful image of America
held in the minds of many Europeans — namely that America was a kind of Wild West ruled
by outlaw millionaires where it was plausible that such a brazen robbery might take place.

BERLIN EDITORS STILL SPIN
RARE APRIL FOOL TALES.

Berlin Paper Told How Burglars
Looted U. S. Treasury.

ATLANTIC FLEET AFTER THEM

TOO NATIONS STARTLED

BY APRIL FOOL YARN i The hoax had been written

’ ! by Louis Viereck, New York

correspondent for the
Berliner Tageblatt, using
the pen name "L. Triang".
(Among his other
accomplishments, Viereck
was rumored to be the
illegitimate son of Kaiser
Wilhelm I.) However,
American papers noted that
the premise of the hoax
bore a strong resemblance to the plot of a recent book by Alfred Henry Lewis titled The
President: A Novel, which involved a scheme to rob the treasury by tunneling into it from an
old sewer. Here's a description of the plot of Lewis's novel from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Apr
30, 1905):

Tageblfttt Prints n Story of Band of
Robbers Who Broke In amt Stole
$280,000,000 from U, S. Treasury.

tov CAI11.D TO Till: CmrAOO TMftVNK 1
tf*owrtohl: IftVT: llv ihr >»• tv V«tI, H— ,V. 1 1
BKKI.T.V, Aprils. -Ptirlnc t»i«- r»ani a

of April the genial eufUMit pr- \.n’.- rnnr.» :
CSorman n«w?|»apcr cOllor* of
kinds of April fool taK*. ICvv'ii \ ■

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that a P.intl or rob»»rrs t>rokc into ilw* w.m.-
loKton treasury, slcalins An-

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Said Potomac River Was Tunneled and
Submarines Were Used In Get-
ting $268,000,000.
ra — — —

Spttiai ro TJtt AY a? Ycrk

(left) Chicago Tribune - Apr 9, 1905; (right) The New York Times - Apr 24, 1905

a society figure in Washington carries out the plot to loot the treasury. He learns that an old
sewer runs close to the vaults. He buys a fast yacht, employs crooks from New York to do the
work, and ingeniously devises rubber bags to be blown up as wanted by the man who has
broken into the vaults from the sewer. Each bag will carry twenty pounds of gold and will float
down the slow stream of the sewer to its mouth at the Potomac. There, in dead of night, row
boats will take the gold to the yacht. The plot is foiled only after the vaults are broken into.

Text of the Article

- The Hundred-Million-Dollar Robbery of the Federal Treasury

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A most abominable crime that has no parallel in the annals of the world, one,
almost incredible, and with consequences which cannot yet be estimated, was
perpetrated the night before last in Washington. A gang of criminals, working with
many millions of capital, has successfully carried through what was always
considered impossible, namely, to rob the United States Treasury and to take from
it $268,000,000 in gold and silver by way of a subterranean tunnel.

Up to the present time the fact has been kept secret from the press, and I myself
became acquainted with it by an absolutely authoritative person during my
presence in the national capital. The whole thing is to be kept secret as long as
possible, at least until the Government has succeeded in finding traces of the

criminals who have fled across the ocean on their own ships as far as it may be at all possible
to find such traces. If this can be accomplished, there may be some chance of getting the
treasure back entirely or in part.

The millions of the United States Treasury were protected through a very complicated
invention called the Holmes Electric Protector in such a manner that burglary was considered
impossible, for, through this protector, alarm signals are fixed on each of the thirteen main
treasury vaults, consisting of a system of electrically worked indicators. The very mment such
an alarm signal sounds no fewer than 1 500 special guards of the Secret Service policemen
and soldiers of the garrison, who happen to be on duty, are called simultaneously to the
Treasury.

The fact that this apparatus, having been in use sixteen years, did not work, although in this
month several examinations were made, leaves no doubt that the criminals had accomplices
among the highest officials of the treasury, for only thus can it be explained that the electric
current lost itself in the ground instead of giving the alarm.

It must be considered less remarkable that the sixty-eight night watchmen did not hear
anything, or did not want to hear anything, because these fine officials know only one care, to
draw their salaries on the first of the month. It may, however, be also the fact, that their
attention was not called to anything remarkable, for the machines used by the criminals were
perfectly noiseless. Now the Treasury vaults have been robbed of their entire contents, they
are shown during the usual hours to the public without any visitor suspecting anything amiss.

The abominable deed was carried out in the following diabolically refined manner. The
criminals who, as it is believed, acted on the instance of certain American millionaires and
had millions and millions at their disposal, had built an electro-technical factory in the year
1902 on the left bank of the Potomac, opposite Fifteenth street, on which the Treasury is
situated. This factory, which showed the firm name of Myers, Mead & Co., seemingly was
nothing but a plant for electric apparatus and machines. In fact and truth, however, it was the
main purpose of the whole building, which is today entirely abandoned, to hide the
subterranean tunnel, which was to be dug from there to the scene of the burglary.

The Subterranean Tunnel

From the factory grounds a tunnel was dug almost an English mile long, thirty feet below the
river bed and ending directly under the treasury in a large caisson. From here thirteen shafts
were dug upward, each ending directly under one of the thirteen treasury vaults. Thus it was
possible to cut out the foundations simultaneously in all chambers and remove their contents
within a very short time into the tunnel, where the gold was transferred to electric cars and in
this manner carried to the factory. From there transportation was effected by means of a fleet
of at least twenty submarine boats to the large ships waiting in the open sea. The submarines
were probably built in Europe for this specific purpose. Evidently they were fitted up in the
same manner as the ships which are used for the purpose of lifting lost treasures from the
bottom of the sea. Certainly, there were contrivances by means of which the cargoes of the
electric cars were transmitted very quickly, by means of compressed air, to the submarine
boats, whereupon these ships with their cargoes immediately moved off at full speed.

It has been positively ascertained that these ships went through Chesapeake Bay to the
ocean, where not fewer than three and probably five large steamers were lying under steam.
These vessels took on board the precious freight as well as the transport boats with all their
crews.

As to the robber fleet some very interesting facts have already been ascertained. The fleet
probably was composed of three Colombian and two Chilean cruisers, some vessels, in
regard of which no news has been heard since last year. It was said that the cruisers were
sold to Russia and a denial by the Russian Government was not believed.

In connection with this, a story that was cabled last year may be of great importance. As will
be remembered, the story was also cleverly launched in the American press in regard to a
mutiny by the crews of board of several Colombian ships. It was said the men intended to go
on a piratical expedition. In truth, however, it is now believed that the ships were purchased
by agents of the conspirators and brought to a hiding place somewhere in Polynesia or the
islands of Patagonia, where the same were fitted up for the expedition to carry the treasures
of gold and silver away from Washington.

The whole North Atlantic Squadron has been ordered to search for the burglars on every
route which the criminals could have taken. All the cruisers in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in
the Caribbean Sea will join in the chase. In addition to this the fastest ships stationed in the
Pacific ports have been sent south with orders to await further instructions in Chilean ports.
The honor of the United States is at stake, and everything will be done to have the
abominable crime punished as well as its perpetrators and bring back the treasures of loot to
this country.

Posted by The Curator on Tue Jan 20, 2015

The incredible story of "Pony Bob" Haslam

The most famous of the Old West Mounted Mailmen.

Of all the intrepid men who rode for the Pony Express during its brief period in
the sun, the most famous was Robert Haslam, affectionately known all over the
west as "Pony Bob." So many times did he escape death at the hands of savage
redskins, and so arduous were some of his rides over the sand and alkali-clad
deserts of Nevada Territory, that the tale of his experiences during his
employment with the famous mail service reads like a swashbuckling adventure
story.

"Pony Bob" joined the Express soon after its birth. His runs were over the
Territory of Nevada. About eight months after the Express began running the
Piute War erupted in the territory. Virginia City, where the fabulous Comstock
Lode was a fountainhead that poured fort a rushing gargantuan flood of silver,
was the largest settlement in all of the territory and it was there that a bloody
Indian attack was expected at any moment. A stone hotel on C Street was under
construction, and was hastily converted into a fortress where the women and
children were rushed for protection. From the high mountain tops the dread
Indian signal fires of the redmen flared and the men of Virginia City stood
armed and ready to repulse an attack. Every available man and horse were
gathered to help repel the redmen.

In spite of the fact that the Indian attack was expected, Pony Bob started his
route when his turn came. Like the mails of today, nothing stopped the Pony
Express from going through. Pony Bob left Virginia city and reached Reed's
Station on the Carson river without mishap. But at Reed's there was no change
of horses - all mounts had been pressed into service to participate in the
expected Indian attack. Bob fed his tired animal and started for the next station
fifteen miles distant, which was called Bucklands - which later became Fort
Churchill. This was to have been the end of Pony Bob's run as he had changed
his old route to this one. On it he had experienced many narrow escapes from
the hostile Piutes and had been wounded twice by the savages.

When Pony Bob thundered up to Bucklands, he had covered seventy-five miles
since his start with the Express. The relief rider was waiting for him but refused
to take the route from there on. Even the superintendent, W. C. Marley, could
not persuade the rider to proceed. He then in desperation told Pony Bob, "Bob, I
will give us $50 if you make this ride."

Bob answered that he'd start at once. He hastily adjusted his seven-shooter

Spencer rifle and his Colt revolver and jumped astride a fresh horse. From
Bucklands to the Sink of the Carson, Bob rode a dangerous route over desolate
terrain. He arrived safely and headed for Sand Springs through deep sand hills
and an alkali bottom, thirty miles further. Not a drop of water was to be had the
entire distance. At Sand Springs Bob changed horses and pushed on towards
Cold Springs, thirty-seven miles distant. At that point an Express rider by the
name of J. G. Kelley relieved him. Pony Bob had ridden one hundred and
ninety miles, stopping only long enough to snatch a bite of food and a drink of
water. This run went down in the records of the Pony Express as the fastest in
all of the route which covered two thousand miles.

Pony Bob rested at Smith's Creek nine hours and started his return journey over
the same route. When he reached Cold Springs he was horrified to find that
Indians had attacked the station, lulled the agent and stolen all the horses. Even
though he was well aware that danger in the form of savage redskins lay on the
lonely desert, Bob decided to go on. He watered his horse. The mount - ridden
hard for thirty miles straight - was fagged, but he responded when Bob vaulted
into the saddle. The messenger headed for Sand Springs, thirty miles away.

Night was closing fast on the desert and the route lay through thick, tall
sagebrush. Bob kept his eyes on the horse's ears, knowing that they would flash
a danger signal if Indians came near. He had made up his mind to fight for his
life in case he was attacked. The night was deadly still. Now and then the
silence was broken by the sound of wolves. Finally, after what seemed an
eternity, Pony Bob thundered up to Sand Springs Station. He told the agent
there of the fate of the Cold Springs stop and advised immediate departure for
the Sink of the Carson, telling the man that the marauders were sure to hit the
following day. The agent willingly mounted his horse and rode with Bob, and in
doing so probably saved his own life. The Piutes swarmed upon Smith's Creek
the next day. However, those at the station were in a strong stone house and
from there they fought the savages for four days. On the fifth day, a company of
fifty volunteers from Cold Springs rode upon the scene and routed the Indians.
The company buried John Williams, station keeper.

When Bob reached the Sink of the Carson, he found the men in the station
apprehensive, for they had seen fifty Indians, armed and in war paint, scouting
the vicinity. In the station wree fifteen white men, all armed. The adobe station
was large enough to accommodate all the men and fifteen horses. It was located
only a few feet from a spring. Bob rested at the Sink for an hour and that night
began a ride to Bucklands. He arrived at his destination without mishap and
only three and a half hours behind schedule. He found Superintendent Marley
there, and when Bob told him the news of the Cold Springs massacre, Marley
raised the bonus for Bob's daring ride to one hundred dollars.

It was while Bob was riding the Pony Express in Nevada Territory that Lincoln

was elected president of the United States. By that time, Fort Churchill had been
established near Bucklands on the Carson River. The Pacific Telegraph then
reached as far as St. Joseph, Missouri. The end of the line from the east was at
Fort Kearney, Nebraska Territory. From there communication went via Pony
Express across western Nebraska Territory, Wyoming and Utah to Fort
Churchill, which was hooked to California by an independent telegraph line
owned by Fred Bee and several partners. The little line, known as Fred Bee's
"Grapevine," ran over the very crest of the towering Sierra Nevada and
connected with the west coast. When the votes were in after the November i860
election and Lincoln was the president-elect, the news sped over the wire to Fort
Kearney, then raced overland on the back of fleet Express ponies to Fort
Churchill. There an operator with his wife clear tapped out the news to San
Francisco and Sacramento on November 14, just seven days after it left the east.
Since Pony Bob Haslam was the most famous of the riders for the Pony Express,
he was given the honor of taking the message on its last lap to Fort Churchill.
Many vital issues hung in the balance in this election - slavery and a possible war
that would turn state against state. Eagerly the sentries awaited the coming of
the Express rider with the results. Long before he raced through the gate, Pony
Bob shouted to the sentries, "Lincoln's elected!"

When the Pony Express was discontinued, Bob secured a job with Wells, Fargo &
Company as an express rider. His route lay between Virginia City and Friday
Station and back. He rode one hundred miles every twenty-four hours. He was
on that job more than a year. By that time the Pacific Railway was pushing
westward fast, and the Pony Express business was dwindling. Eventually the
rails reached Reno, Nevada, and Pony Bob made the run from Virginia City to
Reno for six months, using fifteen horses. Traveling time between the two cities
was just short of an hour for the twenty-three miles. The telegraph line was
completed next and the Pony Express on the route was discontinued. Pony Bob
was transferred to Idaho where he rode a one-hundred-mile route, using one
horse and traveling from the Queen's River to Owyhee River. When the Modoc
War erupted, Bob was at Queen's River Station.

Bob saw many tragedies on his runs through this lonely country. Once he
passed a spot where ninety Chinamen had been massacred by Indians. Their
corpses were still on the ground. The Idaho run was Bob's last job with the Pony
Express. The man who took over his route when he resigned, Sye Macaulas, was
killed by Indians the first time he covered the route.

Eventually Pony Bob left the west and settled in Chicago, where he was
associated with the management of the Congress Hotel organization. It was
there in 1907 that the famous Indian historian and writer, William Lightfoot
Visscher, interviewed him and heard the story of his daring rides in the west.

Bob Haslam was born in London , England , in January 1840. Thus he was

only twenty years old when he made his famous ride , and he died at the age of
J2 in Chicago in February igi2.

Magical Shape Shifting Jews

By: Video of the Day
Published: January 14th, 2015

jewishpress.com

Magical Shape Shifting Jews

Some Muslims in France think "magical shape-shifting Jews" committed the terror attacks.

Photo Credit: MSNBC

H/T T ruthRevolt - Video and transcription:

Diaz-Balart: You talked, Dana, to some of these French Muslims who say this was
all a conspiracy. What do they mean?

Kennedy: Well, I went out to what they call the suburbs of France which are not
what Americans think of as the suburbs, really the housing projects they’re outside
Paris and there are a couple of areas inside Paris where a lot of poor Muslims
live. I talked to cross section of mainly French Algerian young men who said to me
it was pretty much they felt the attacks were actually a conspiracy by the Jews to
make Muslims look bad. One person told me that in fact they weren’t just
regular Jews that were doing this, in fact they were a race of magical Jews,
shape shifting Jews, master manipulators that could be everywhere at the
same time.

About the Author: Every day we try to bring you an interesting video of the day related to
Israel or the Jewish People. If you have a video you'd like to submit, send the YouTube URL
to us with this submission form.

historicmysteries.com

The Kaaba Black Stone - Historic Mysteries

May 11, 2011

Every day, five times a day, Muslims across the
globe face Mecca and pray. When they face
Mecca, it is not Mecca that they are truly facing, it
is a cube-shaped building known as the Ka’aba or
simply Kaaba. This building is also known as
Baitullah or “The House of Allah.” On the east
corner of this revered building, there is a
cornerstone known as the Black Stone of the
Ka’aba. It is steeped in mystery, legend and
speculation.

The Ka’aba resides in Makka or Mecca, Saudi
Arabia. It stands in the relative center of the Al-
Haram Mosque, where millions of Muslims flock
every year to see this building and walk around it seven times. Most of the year, it is covered
in black cloth. Beneath the black cloth is a stone building that may date back as far as 2030
B.C.E. Each side of the cube measures about 60 ft. across. There is a gold door in the
southeast side. Inside, there is a polished marble floor and three pillars.

Muslims believe that Allah himself ordered that the Ka’aba be constructed. The story is that
Abraham built the mosque with his oldest son, Ishmael. The building is said to be the likeness
of Allah’s home in heaven. It is supposedly the oldest mosque on Earth. Historians believe it
was once used by pagans, before Islam came into being. Likewise, the Black Stone is said to
have been placed there and used by pagans, who were worshipful of such natural things.
Islam forbids idolatry, so the Black Stone is not revered by them. They tell a completely
different story about what the rock is and why it is so important.

There are various, slightly different, versions of the following story regarding the significance
and origin of the Kaaba Black Stone. All are similar. When Adam was banished from
Paradise or The Garden of Eden, he was filled with sin. The Black Stone was given to Adam
to erase him of this sin and give him entrance into heaven. It is said to be from Heaven. At
the time it belonged to Adam, it was white. Now, it is black because it has absorbed so much
sin.

Muslims believe that the prophet Mohammad kissed the Black Stone and so, they kiss the
Black Stone, if it is possible, during their obligatory, at least once a lifetime, trip to Ka’aba. If
they are unable to kiss the stone, they point to it every time they pass on their seven-circle
journey around the Ka’aba. This is a story steeped in religion and important religious figures.
Therefore, the Black Stone has great importance as being linked to Allah, Adam and
Mohammad. However, those outside of the Muslim faith have little to go by.

The Black Stone of the Ka’aba has been described as somewhere around 2 ft. in length. It is
broken into roughly seven pieces, which are held together in a silver frame. The surface is

certainly a blackish color, but there is some speculation that the color derives from all of the
hands and mouths that have touched it, as well as the oils with which it is anointed. Not
knowing the true color for sure makes it difficult to say just what it is. There is also a problem
with getting a sample. Taking a sample would be extremely disrespectful. It might even be
dangerous. There are stories about people being killed for messing around with the stone and
the Ka’aba.

Thusfar, speculation about the Kaaba Black Stone regard it being old, of course, and placed
there by pagans. Those interested have postulated that the stone may be glass, agate or
meteorite. It may also be glass from a meteorite. It is obviously brittle or it has been damaged
by something very strong, which is certainly possible, considering it has been stolen and in
the midst of a war in its history. Evidence pointing to any of these theories is slim, though the
meteorite theory is the most popular. In the end, the stone holds much less importance to
non-Muslims, so the mystery of its origins will have to be left to myth and legend for now.

Sources

The Kaaba and Al-Haram Mosque, retrieved 5/11/11, howstuffworks.com/kaaba-and-al-
haram-mosque-landmarks.htm

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The Kensington Runestone - Historic Mysteries

October 22, 2010 historicmysteries.com

The Kensington Runestone is a large stone with runes carved
in it that some believe may have been carved by Vikings. It is
31 inches tall, 16 inches wide, six inches thick and it weighs
202 pounds. The interesting thing about the Kensington
Runestone is that it was discovered in Minnesota. If it is
authentic, it will change the history of the United States as we
know it. On the other hand, its authenticity is a mystery. Many
people believe it to be a hoax.

The story goes that the Kensington Runestone was found in a
small farming community near Kensington, Minnesota in 1898.
Some versions say that a boy named Edward Ohman found it.
Other versions say that it was his father, Olof Ohman who
found it. It may have been found in the roots of a tree, but that
is uncertain. It was certainly found underground. At least, every version of the story has it that
way. Regardless of how it was discovered or who discovered it, the Kensington Runestone
wound up in the hands of Olof Ohman, who began looking for an explanation. There is no
evidence that he actively sought monetary gain from the Kensington Runestone.

No one claimed to be able to translate fully the Kensington Runestone until 1907, when a
University of Wisconsin graduate with a history major named Hjalmar R. Holand came up with
the following translation. “8 Goths and 22 Norwegians on exploration journey from Vinland
over the west. We camp by two skerries one day journey from this stone. We were and fished
one day. After we came home, 10 men red with blood and tortured. Hail Virgin Mary. Save
from evil. Have 10 men by the sea to look after our ship, 14 day journey from this island year
1362." Five members of the Minnesota Historical Society investigated the stone for 1.5 years
and concluded that it was authentic.

There is some evidence that the Vikings may have made it as far as Minnesota. What appear
to be five Viking campsites, where holes have been carved in the rocks similar to those used
by Vikings to moor boats, have been found between Hudson Bay and Sauk Centre,
Minnesota. Some Norse-looking tools have been found in the area as well. It is postulated
that some Vikings became stranded in the U.S. when they could not make it back to their ship
in time for the return voyage. This would explain why some of the Mandan Native American
tribes in the area had blue-eyed individuals and knowledge of Christianity before accepted
history tells us they should have learned about Christ.

None of these things is certainly proof that Vikings at least visited the area or prove that the
Kensington Runestone is authentic. The only other evidence that can be taken into account is
the Kensington Runestone itself. It was once “proven” to be a hoax by a runologist who did
not recognize one of the characters on the stone. Later, another runologist found the
somewhat rare rune in other texts. This does not prove the Kensington Runestone is real,
either. However, it does prove that if it is not real, it is going to be hard to prove it is not real.

This brings us to the possible hoax theory.

People who do not believe the Kensington Runestone is authentic typically assume that Olof
Ohman made it. That possibility raises a few questions. Firstly, why would he do it, if not for
money? He may have done it for attention, but why bother? Secondly, how did such a simple
man have knowledge of runes like these? If one of the runes was really so rare that a
runologist could not recognize it, how did Olof? Lastly, if Olof did have knowledge of runes,
why didn’t anybody know about it? To believe Olof made the Kensington Runestone, you
would have to believe that he studied runes without anyone’s knowledge just to carve those
runes into a 200-pound rock for no other reason than to amuse himself. It is not a probable
scenario, but it is not impossible either.

Both sides of the Kensington Runestone mystery are argued by both capable experts and
laymen so it is difficult to tell which side is right without some glaringly obvious evidence. With
an artifact/hoax like the Kensington Runestone, glaringly obvious evidence is not going to be
found. You cannot date the markings on the stone. No one knows exactly where it was found.
The runes have been interpreted a number of different ways. There just is not anything to
prove it conclusively. If only text could be found elsewhere discussing these men in
Minnesota, then we may be able to lay this mystery to rest.

Sources

The Story of the Kensington Runestone, retrieved 10/10/10,
Kensingtonmn.com/runestonepg.html

The Kensington Runestone, retrieved 10/10/10, econ.ohio-state.edu/jhm/arch/kens/kens.htm

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The Kidnapping of the Reverend Robert Kirk

September 25, 2014

historicmysteries.com

As did most Scots in the 17th century, Kirk
strongly believed in the reality of “The Good
People." Being born and raised in the small village
Reverend Robert Kirk was minister at Balquhidder until of Aberfoyle, Kirk lived his life in the shadow of the
1685 - Highlands, enmeshed in the local beliefs of an

invisible race that Kirk claimed were of a nature halfway between that of angels and that of
mankind.

Despite a life of scholarship that included
translations of the Psalms and other portions of
the Bible into Gaelic, it is the belief that he was
kidnapped by the Fairies that keeps the Reverend
Robert Kirk well-remembered 322 years after his
“death."

Throughout his adult life, Kirk took copious notes on the various beliefs of his parishioners
regarding Fairies, the phenomenon of Second Sight, doppelgangers, and other occult
matters. In 1691, he condensed these beliefs into a book entitled “The Secret Commonwealth
of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies.” This book was to be his undoing, according to the legend that
would start soon after, for Fairies do not take kindly to invasions into their privacy, and like
even less their manner and nature being reported to the public at large.

Instead of dying on the night of May 14, 1692, as the written records show, the local
population believed that he was taken by the Fairies and held captive in the Fairy Hill near the
Aberfoyle church.

Kidnappings of this sort were believed to be very real occurrences by people of that time:
women who died during or soon after childbirth were thought to have been stolen to nurse
Fairy infants, and sickly or troublesome babies were explained to be changelings: Fairies left
in place of a human child.

An 1812 book gave the specifics of Kirk’s final fate:

As the Reverend Robert Kirk was walking one evening in his nightgown upon a...
fairy mount in the vicinity of the manse... he sunk down in what seemed to be a fit
of apoplexy, which the unenlightened took for death, while the more
understanding knew it to be a swoon produced by the supernatural influence of
the people whose precincts he had violated.

Shortly after his funeral, (he) appeared in the dress in which he had sunk down, to
a relation of his own...

Kirk told the man that at the christening of his baby (born after his “death”) he would appear

as a phantom, and that if a dagger was thrown above his spectral head that he would be
returned to the land of the living. He did reportedly appear at the christening, but everybody
was so shocked by Kirk’s appearance that they failed to throw the dagger. Kirk was seen to
leave by a different door and was never seen again.

This story would become accepted by everyone: his son Colin wrote to a friend that his father
had “gone to his own kind."

A visitor to Aberfoyle in the early 20th century recorded how the legend of Kirk’s mysterious
death had been somewhat embellished. The locals believed that Kirk’s body was not in his
grave — he was in Fairyland and his coffin was full of stones.

The lore continued. A young woman who had rented out Kirk’s old manse during World War II
was pregnant and told neighbors and visitors that she hoped she would still be in Aberfoyle at
the time of her delivery, as she had been told by some of the Aberfoyle natives that if a baby
was born and christened in the manse that Kirk would appear, and could finally be freed.

By the end of the 20th century, belief in Fairies in Aberfoyle was rare, if it existed at all. A
local publication discussing the legend states: “Beyond the old kirk is the heavily wooded
Doon Hill where it is alleged that the pine tree at the crown of the hill is the Reverend
maintaining an earthly form after being spirited away by the Fairies. Does this tree really have
the power to grant wishes to those who walk around it three times?”

Gone are all of the darker aspects of the legend. All that remains is a collection of quaint and
harmless folklore completely unrelated to the original story — a situation that, if it remains
unchanged, may forever leave the Reverend Kirk trapped in Fairyland and the contents of his
grave unknown.

SOURCES: “The Reverend Robert Kirk: Growth of a Legend,” The Highlander, May/June
1995.

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The Legend of Teke Teke or "Mounstro legless"

contactoparanormal.us

Teke teke teke teke The Legend of Teke Teke is coupled to the Kuchisake-Onna

(who already discussed above); perhaps one of the most frightening of Japan, and one of the
reasons why people avoid the train with few users overnight.

It is rumored that the Teke
Teke is the name given to the
ghost of a Japanese
schoolgirl who prowls the
train in the eastern country. In
life, she was very scary, and
were known to tease fans.
One day, while waiting for the
train that would take her back
home after school, one of her
friends put a cicada (a noisy
and large insect that appears
during summers in Japan) at
the shoulder. Sadly, this joke was fatal; because the girl was terrified by the insect, which fell
off the platform and was hit by a shinkansen (the fastest train in Japan), and his body was
broken waist just as much.

Some time later, reports from users of the train at night they saw in the distance a figure
creeping in the shadows, or just a sound that sounded like a "teke teke" or "Dressing Gown"
began to appear, as it assumed is the noise made by trailing on the suelo.La best known
legend Teke Teke is:

A boy walked back home overnight. When crossing the tracks, he saw in the distance a
beautiful girl peeping over a balcony; leaning on his elbows. They exchanged glances and
smiled at each other for a second.

"Where are my legs?" she asked.

The boy did not understand and replied "do not know".

Then the girl jumped off the balcony and found that the lower half of his body was
nonexistent. Terrified by the deformity of the girl, the boy tried to run; only to be cut in half by
the T eke T eke, who lunged at him with the speed of a train.

You may also like: The Legend of Teke Teke or "Mounstro legless"

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contactoparanormal.org

The Legend of the Ghost of Mary Resurrection

In 1931 a young woman was killed while
Being driven home after a dance at the
O'Henry Ballroom Avenue Archer Chicago,
wearing her white gown and your dancing
shoes, was buried in the Cemetery of the
Resurrection, Also on the same street.

For several years after the incident, some
motorists' Have Reported seeing a young
woman with an old white dress practicing
hitchhiking on Archer Avenue . That is
aware, above all, the boys recogida or she
rose to cars without alerted and Being Asked
to take her home and then a made them leave in the cemetery of the resurrection. Some
motorists' Have That ensured the woman out of the car without opening the door.

One night in December 1977, a man came by car and Noticed a young woman dressed in
white behind the gate Resurrection Cemetery. Perhaps believing That HAD Been
inadvertently locked inside a motorist called police. But When They arrived, she was gone.
They NOTED however it That the bars of wrought iron gate of the cemetery Were slightly
bent outwards and distinguished Both Sides in the footsteps of Both hands

You may also like: . The brown lady The most famous ghost

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The Legend of the Phantom of the Planchada

contactoparanormal.us

It is said that the ghost of La Planchada appears when
a patient has not taken his medication, whether by the
negligence of nurses or for any other reason. On several
occasions the sick argue that they have already taken
their medication, when in fact the ghost of the nurse on
duty had not provided any medicine. And indeed, given
the description of this nurse, that few patients and
nurses have managed to see, he has treated his
patients.

The horror legend says that this was wrong nurse the
sick, fanning their medications and was very strict; is
said to be his spirit wandering in the old building, taking
care that the sick who are there to such cruelty that had lived with them when they are either
in punishment.

There are times when nurses night shift, to stand guard have fallen asleep, and abruptly
awakened the feeling a blow with the palm on their heads. These awakening, see no one
around, just feel chills and see the long corridors and old, still in the middle of the night

in Juarez Hospital Center in Mexico .

In the direction of this hospital, which mysteriously step is very restricted, even for those who
work there, talking about a picture that is in one of the walls; that table, say the inmates of the
hospital, correspond to the nurse which also mysteriously, no one knows almost nothing, not
where it came from or when he entered the hospital and not how he died; only know it was a
beautiful woman, short and blond hair serious, but especially strict, always starched white
uniform; upright walking the halls. The Lightning Romy Gordillo nursesaid that all staff is
aware of the existence of ghost he described as a tall, blonde, blue eyes, similar to that used
in the Viceroyalty clothing, but nobody want to talk about it, and his identity is a mystery.

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The London Hammer - Historic Mysteries

July 20, 2011

historicmysteries.com

In June 1936 (or 1934 by some accounts), Max
Hahn (1897-1989) and his wife Emma were hiking
along Red Creek near London, Texas. It was
there that they discovered an artifact which
seemed completely out of place. What they found
was a unique piece of wood protruding from a
rock concretion. When the rock was broken by
their son in 1947, it revealed an iron hammer with
a wooden handle. The artifact would gain the
world’s attention when Carl Baugh, a Creationist,
purchased the artifact in 1983. The London
Hammer, or the London Artifact as some call it, was promoted by Baugh as a monumental
‘Pre-Flood’ discovery. Additional curiosity was generated when a 1985 report from the
Creation Ex Nihile dated the rock formation encompassing the hammer as 400-500 million
years old.

The Hammer is six inches (15.24cm) long with a diameter of one inch. The metal has been
identified as consisting of 96.6% iron, 2.6% chlorine, and 0.74% sulfur. Believers point out
that this hammer has not rusted since its discovery over sixty years ago. This is certainly a
unique blend of metalurgy which some claim be a lost technology of ancient man.

So the mystery begins. What is a hammer doing embedded in such ancient rock and what
does this mean about the age of mankind since man was not suppose to exist for a few
hundred million years?

As with any mystery and grand claim, all the evidence needs to be presented before the truth
can finally be revealed. The discovery of the London Hammer still leaves us with a lot of
questions. And there are many inconsistencies that prevent the scientific community from
confirming this find as the oldest known artifact created by man.

First of all, there are conflicting reports as to where the object was actually located in the
surrounding rocks. And there is no photographic evidence of the object prior to being
disturbed. One report states that the hammer was embedded in a rock formation dating from
the Cretaceaus Period (65-135 million years ago). But other accounts state that Mr. Hahn
found the hammer bearing nodule “near” these surrounding rocks.

Skeptics argue that minerals could have cemented the hammer around the Cretaceous
rock after it was dropped or left behind. This could easily lead novice geologists to believe
that the hammer and the rock formation are from the same time period.

The only true method of determining the age of the hammer is through Carbon 14 dating of
the wooden handle, but Baugh has yet to authorize this procedure. The handle appears to be
partially fossilized, so this certainly adds to the argument that this a very ancient tool. But

The London Hammer. Photo Credit:
http://paleo. cc/paluxy/hammer. htm

fossilization can occur prematurely through various natural methods.

To skeptics, the hammer appears to be a tool that was abandoned or lost some 200 years
ago, but to it’s supporters, this is a clear indication that man has been on this Earth much
longer than previously thought.

The artifact is currently located at the “Creation Evidence Museum 1 '.

Sources:

The ‘London (Texas, USA) hammer’, Bad Archaeology
The London Hammer by Glen J. Kuban

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The Lone Grave - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

by admin • September 27, 2014

A lone grave is surrounded by an old iron rail at the
edge of a parking lot, around where Paroquet Springs
once stood, in Bullitt County, Kentucky. The plot has
no tombstone or marking, beyond a recent historical
marker. No one knows who’s buried there, but the
many versions of its story all state the lady of the
grave died from a broken heart.

The old iron railing was replaced with new, stronger
fencing in recent years, but still, we may never know
who lies therein with any certainty.

Some History

The Paroquet Springs Spa and Resort was known for
sparkling blue sulfur water. A magnificent summer resort was constructed at Parakeet Lick,
so named for the flocks of colorful birds that were once there. By 1839, the facility could
accommodate around 250 visitors. It expanded again into the 1840s, when it was at the
height of its popularity and became a staple of nearby Shepherdsville. The original name
“Parakeet” eventually became, “Paroquet." It remains debatable as if the spelling change was
due to French influence, or if that was just the Victorian spelling of “parakeet."

Paroquet’s fame grew so rapidly that it even inspired its own waltz. The Paroquet Springs
Waltz was composed around 1843, by Louisville resident W. C. Peters.

Healing water spas and resorts were commonplace in early Appalachia. They were believed
to provide relief from many common ailments and epidemics of the time, and most local
businesses benefited from the constant stream of visitors. Families, who could afford to do
so, often frequented these establishments the way families vacation today, whether anyone
was ill or not. Many believed the healing waters had preventative value.

The Alice Rudolph Story

Alfred Rudolph was a businessman from Pensacola, Florida. He brought his family to the
resort during the summer of 1878. Alice was his only daughter, renowned for her beauty and
vivacious nature. The blue-eyed, blond-haired beauty was spoiled by her doting parents.
She’d never experienced genuine disappointment in all her 17 years.

The Lady’s Man

Robert Findley was a man who swept young Alice away at the Paroquet resort. The rising
young attorney was well known in Louisville society circles. He was the physical opposite of
Alice, his hair was dark and his skin was swarthy. Unlike Alice, he was also shy. The two

H i a ‘ H r ifc WIT V

The house at Paroquet Springs, as it stood in
1936. Photo from the Kentucky archives.

opposites were attracted to one another from their first meeting. Others at the resort were
amused by their affection and attentions towards one another.

The couple spent nearly all of the three summer months together, as much as was allowed
during the proper Victorian period. Findley carved their initials together on a beech tree by
their favorite meeting place. He proposed and she accepted. They even arranged a marriage
date three months later. During that time, they agreed he would arrange for a marital absence
from his firm for their wedding and honeymoon. She was to plan the event.

Preparations

The Rudolph family returned to Florida and Alice immediately began planning the ceremony.
Findley frequently sent letters of his undying love and adoration. The day soon came when he
was expected to arrive via train.

Her father and the family driver went to the train station to await his arrival. The train came
and left, but there was no Findley. Her father returned alone, but not without news. A letter
came on the train for Alice. The envelope only contained a newspaper clipping. Someone had
used a lead pencil to scrawl on the back of clipping. They asked, “Can you congratulate us?”

The clipping mentioned a couple who wedded on the prior Thursday. Robert J. Findley had
married Miss Lillie B. Thompson at 3 o’clock that afternoon. They then left that evening for an
extended honeymoon in the East.

Tragedy

Alice was utterly devastated. She couldn't believe she’d fallen for his deceit or that she’d
fallen so foolishly for him. She began a downward spiral. Her health failed. She grew frail and
weak. Her parents took her to visit many other healing resorts, but none helped. They took
her to the best physicians throughout the southeastern United States, even as far as New
Orleans. It was no good. The expert told them her despondency and health had gone too far,
and they had around two more weeks with her.

They returned home without a cure for their dying daughter. She called them into her room
several days later and said she knew she was dying and it wouldn’t be long. She wanted to
be buried by the beech tree, where Findley carved her name.

The grave once had a white marble headstone, but it has long since disappeared. The
tombstone read, “Alice, aged 18, died of a broken heart.”

More History

There are countless variations to this story, and many sources state the site is over 160 years
old, but the grave is actually closer to 120 years old. The Alice Rudolph version was used
because it contained the most detail, it circulated in newspapers around 1900.

Other versions place the story much farther back, even before the Civil War. In the early
version, it’s said that Charles Scott married Alice Bedford just before he left to fight in the

Mexican-American War. He died at the Battle of Vera Cruz and Alice pined away for him. She
asked to be buried by the tree where he carved their name before her death in 1847. Some
lesser-known accounts say the person buried there was being a man. There is one story that
involves a wealthy Mississippi family.

One brief account circulated in 1 874 that didn’t mention names at all. It was about the
daughter of a wealthy and prideful father, whose family visited Paroquet in the late 1840s. As
the days grew warmer, the girl fell in love with a young man who was not in her social class.
She knew her father would never consent to a relationship, so they began secret meeting
along the edge of a forest, beneath an ancient oak.

Their meetings were regular, usually daily, until her parents discovered her whereabouts. Her
father immediately forbade any further communication between her and the young man. To
add to hear heartache, her parents decided they all needed an extended European vacation.

She was taken to the finest resorts, but it did no good. The family kept her abroad for several
years, until her health declined to the point she was unable to travel. She was brought to New
Orleans where she was given in an arranged marriage. She barely survived the honeymoon.
She begged her husband to bury her at Paroquet Springs on her deathbed. He eventually
consented, but was just a petty and resentful as her father. She was buried with a wrought
iron fence surrounding her grave, but he would not give her a plaque or a headstone. Visitors
to Paroquet tossed roses upon the grave after her burial, but no one ever truly knew her
story.

The Resort

Whatever the origins of the lone grave were, we do know what happened with the Paroquet
hotel. The resort was a great success during the 1 840s, but fell out of the limelight by the
1850s. The Civil War was havoc on the resort. Union forces encamped at Paroquet, believing
the bridge in Shepherdsville was a pivotal location for the Confederacy. They tore down many
of the outer buildings and felled many of the resort's trees.

The structure never recovered its popularity, despite numerous attempts to promote what
remained of the shaded land and therapeutic waters. Fate intervened again in 1879, when
the hotel burned to the ground. The mineral water was bottled and sold after that, but that
also stopped in 1915.

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historicmysteries.com

The Long Island Serial Killer

March 4, 2014

Few things are as terrifying as knowing a serial
killer is on the loose and not knowing if he or she
is still active. Unfortunately, that is the situation
the residents of Long Island face with the so-
called Long Island or Gilgo Beach Killer. The
killer’s victims come from several states, but the
dumping ground is always in Long Island, leading
police and locals to wonder if the killer is one of
their neighbors. It is a tough case with few leads,
but police are continuing to work on it, as of early
2014.

Five of the 10 known victims were identified as
Maureen Brainard-Bames, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan
Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello and Jessica Taylor.
Police disclosed all of the women were prostitutes.

The true beginnings of the Long Island Serial
Killer case go back to at least 1996, but realization
that a serial killer is at work in the area did not

come until 2010. The discoveries of at least 10 related bodies began with the unrelated
disappearance of a young escort named Shannan Gilbert. Shannan had been working when
she ran off from her client’s house as her driver watched. She screamed for help, banging on
people’s doors and even calling 91 1 to say, “they” were going to kill her. This was in May of
2010. This prompted a search for the girl that turned up nothing for some time.

In December of the same year, police were either training a cadaver dog or looking for
Shannan, depending on the source, when the dog found the skeletal remains of a woman in a
burlap sack off Ocean Parkway. Two days later, three more bodies were found, all in burlap
sacks, all in the same area of the parkway. What was happening soon became evident. By
April of 201 1, another four bodies were found. Though the additional bodies were killed and
disposed of using a different M.O than the initial bodies found in burlap sacks, police believe
they are all connected. They noted the differences initially, but later asserted that they have
reason to believe they were all killed by the same person. Some of the details have yet to be
released.

Interestingly, some of the body parts discovered in 2011 were matched to remains found
years earlier. Two legs washed up on Fire Island in 1996. Partial remains found in April of
2010 matched those legs. Another of the victims was matched to remains found on
November 19, 2000. The forearm, hands and skull of Jessica Taylor match remains found 45
miles away from Gilgo Beach in 2003.

Because of the disappearance timeline of the known victims and these earlier discoveries, it
is known that, if this is truly a single killer, he or she was active for at least the 14 years
between 1996 and 2010. It is unclear if the killer is still active in the area or has found a new
dumping ground.

The victims of the Long Island Killer are as follows:

Maureen Brainard - Barnes, a 25-year-old
prostitute who advertised on Craigslist. She was
strangled and her body was found in a burlap bag
on Ocean Parkway. She disappeared on July 9,
2007.

Melissa Bathelemy, a 24-year-old prostitute who
advertised on Craigslist. She too was strangled
and left on the Ocean Parkway in a burlap bag.
She disappeared on July 10, 2009.

Megan Waterman, a 22-year-old prostitute who
advertised on Craiglist, died and was disposed of
in the same manner as Brainard - Barnes and
Bathelemy. She disappeared on June 6, 2010.

Amber Lynn Costello, a 27-year-old prostitute who advertised on Craiglist and disappeared
on September 2, 2010. She was strangled and left on Ocean Parkway in a burlap sack.

(Note: The four victims above were the only four who followed this seemingly strict modus
operandi. However, the victims who were murdered and disposed of by different means
appear to have been killed before the Craigslist victims, showing that the change in M.O
came later, if the following victims are indeed from the same killer.)

Jessica Taylor was 20 years old when she was killed. She was working as a prostitute. Some
of her remains were found in 2003. Her forearms, hands and skull were found when police
found all of the other victims.

The rest of the victims are unidentified:

Jane Doe No. 6 was about 5' 2 " and was between 18 and 35 years old at the time of death.
The rest of her body was found on November 19, 2000.

A young Asian male victim was between 17 and 23 years old when he died. He was dressed
as a woman and beaten to death. The victim and method of murder is different in this case,
but police say they have reason to believe it is connected.

The body of a toddler was found near the young Asian man. She was about 16 to 24 months
old when she was murdered. Her body was wrapped in a blanket. One of the victims found in
April 201 1 was determined to be a relative of the child, possibly her mother.

A young male between 20 and 30 washed up on Amagansett Beach. His head has yet to be
found.

Multiple other murders are speculated to be related. However, no positive links have been
confirmed between these 10 victims and any others. Of course, there is always the possibility
of more victims.

The Long Island Serial Killer dumped the bodies in the
Ocean Parkway area.

As for the killer him or herself, very little is known. There has been speculation that he or she
has solid knowledge of police procedure because virtually no evidence is left on the victims.

In one case, an effort was made to remove one of the victim’s tattoos, but that effort was
never seen in other victims. Even personal belongings were left on some of them. What we
do know is based on police and media profiling. The killer is assumed to be a white male
because that is typically the case with such murders. That is all there is, to the public’s
knowledge.

Some hoped to connect known New York City serial killer Joel Rifkin to the murders. The M.O
is quite similar, including the profession of the victims. Nonetheless, there is an obvious
glaring hole in the theory. Rifkin was apprehended in 1993. Sure, maybe one or two of the
victims died before then, but all of the known victims disappeared after Rifkin was put in jail.
It’s a worthless connection.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, no more evidence has been found in the case since the
initial discoveries, as far as the public is concerned. Nonetheless, the police have stated
categorically that this is not considered a cold case and investigations are moving forward.
There is always the hope that the remaining victims will be identified and their killer will be
brought to justice.

Shannan Gilbert’s body was found in December of 201 1 . Police say she drowned when she
fell in a swamp. That theory seems dubious, given her last known actions. However, her case
is nearly certainly unrelated to the murders it helped uncover.

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The Lost Sandringhams

historic-uk.com

The Background

The men of E Company had grown up together, playing cricket for the same
village team, chasing the same girls and drinking in the same pubs and inns.
And now, as members of the 5th Territorial Battalion the Royal Norfolk
Regiment, they were about to go to war together.

It was the hot August of 1914 and groups of friends or ‘buddies’ across Britain, team-mates
and work colleagues eagerly enlisted to fight the Bosch.

common was something rather unusual: they all
Sandringham.

The company had been formed in 1908 at the
personal request of their employer, King Edward
VII. He asked Frank Beck, his land agent to
undertake the task. This he did, recruiting more
than 100 part-time soldiers or territorials.

As was the custom in the territorial battalions of
the day, military rank was dictated by social class.
Members of the local gentry like Frank Beck and
his two nephews became the officers. The estate's
foremen, butlers, head gamekeepers and head
gardeners were the NCOs. The farm labourers,
grooms and household servants made up the rank and file.

What happened to the Sandringhams during the disastrous Dardanelles campaign in the
middle of their very first battle, on the afternoon of August 12, 1915? One minute the men, led
by their commanding officer, Sir Horace Proctor-Beauchamp, were charging bravely against
the Turkish enemy. The next they had disappeared. Their bodies were never found. There
were no survivors. They did not turn up as prisoners of war.

They simply vanished.

General Sir Ian Hamilton, the British Commander-in-Chief in Gallipoli, appeared as puzzled
as everyone else. He reported 'there happened a very mysterious thing'. Explaining that
during the attack, the Norfolks had drawn somewhat ahead of the rest of the British line. He
went on 'The fighting grew hotter, and the ground became more wooded and broken.’ But
Colonel Beauchamp with 16 officers and 250 men, 'still kept pushing on, driving the enemy
before him.'

'Among these ardent souls was part of a fine company enlisted from the King's Sandringham
estates. Nothing more was ever seen or heard of any of them. They charged into the forest

But what the soldiers of E Company had in
belonged to the staff of the Royal Estate at

Sandringham WKPD

and were lost to sight and sound. Not one of them ever came back.' Their
families had nothing to go on but rumours and a vague official telegram
stating that their loved ones had been 'reported missing’.

King George V could gain no further information other than that the
Sandringhams had conducted themselves with 'ardour and dash'.

Queen Alexandra made inquiries via the American ambassador in
Constantinople to discover whether any of the missing men might be in
Turkish prisoner-of-war camps. Grieving families contacted the Red Cross
and placed messages in the papers, hoping for news of their sons and
husbands from returning comrades. But all to no avail.

King George Vat the So what really happened to men of Sandringham?

Front

The Events...

Along with thousands of other troops, the 5th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment had set sail
from Liverpool on July 30, 1915, aboard the luxury liner Aquitania.

At 54, Captain Beck need not have led his men to war. But despite his age, he was
determined to do so.

'I formed them,' he said bravely, 'How could I leave them now? The lads will expect me to go
with them; besides I promised their wives and children I would look after them'.

The battalion landed at Suvla Bay on August 10, in the thick of the fighting, and was
immediately ordered inland.

Officers and men were being continually shot down, not only by rifle fire from the enemy in
front of them, but by snipers.

The climate was broiling by day and freezing at night. Men were already suffering from
dysentery and from the side-effects of inoculations and seasick tablets administered during
the voyage. There was a desperate lack of water - two pints were supposed to last each man
three days.

Then, on August 12, just two days after they had arrived in this arid, hostile land, the 5th
Battalion was told it was to attack that afternoon.

The orders were confused. Some thought the plan was to clear away the enemy's forward
positions in preparation for the main British assault. Others believed their target was the
village of Anafarta Saga on the ridge ahead of them.

The officers were handed maps, which they soon discovered did not even show the area they
were supposed to be attacking.

Having been in the baking sun all day the inexperienced troops were thirsty and scared - and

now they were to launch a major assault on a well-armed enemy in broad daylight and with
little cover.

Only Private George Carr, a 14-year-old Norfolk lad, was to survive the bloodshed of that
afternoon. Exhausted by the battle, he was saved by a stretcher-bearer called Herbert Saul, a
pacifist who refused to carry a rifle on principle.

At 4.15-pm whistles blew and the
Norfolks began to advance, led by
Colonel Beauchamp, waving his cane
and shouting: 'On the Norfolks, on.’
Captain Beck was at the head of the
Sandringhams.

Even though they were still a mile-and-
a-half from the Turkish positions, the
order to fix bayonets and to advance at
the double was given. The slaughter
began immediately as the Turkish artillery trained in on the advancing British soldiers. By the
time the Norfolks reached the enemy lines they were already exhausted.

A desperate battle ensued, officers and men being cut down all around by snipers hidden in
the trees. Everywhere officers and men of the battalion were dying. A shell landed close to
Frank Beck. He was last seen sitting under a tree with his head on one side, either dead or
simply too tired to continue.

In the midst of the bloodshed, Colonel Beauchamp continued to advance through a wood
towards the Turks' main positions, leading a band of 16 officers and 250 men. Among them
were the Sandringhams.

Eventually, the Colonel was spotted, standing with another officer in a farm on the far side of
the wood. 'Now boys,' he shouted, ' we've got the village. Let's hold it.'

That was the last anyone saw or heard of Beauchamp, or any of his men, including the
Sandringhams. They had all disappeared, amid the smoke and flying bullets, never to be
seen again.

In 1918 when the war had ended, the War Graves Commission searched the Gallipoli
battlefields. Of the 36,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died in the campaign, 13,000
rested in unidentified graves, another 14,000 bodies were simply never found.

During one of these searches a Norfolks regimental cap badge was found buried in the sand
along with the corpses of a number of soldiers.

The find was reported to the Rev Charles Pierre-Point Edwards, MC, who was in Gallipoli on
a War Office mission to find out what had happened to the 5th Norfolks. It was likely that he
had been sent there by Queen Alexandra.

Edwards' examination of the area where the badge had been found
uncovered the remains of 180 bodies; 122 of them were identifiable from
their shoulder flashes as men of the 5th Norfolks.

The bodies had been found scattered over an area of one square mile, to
the rear of the T urkish front line lying most thickly round the ruins of a small
farm'. This, Edwards concluded, was probably the farm at which Colonel
Beauchamp had last been seen.

The surrounding area was wooded, the only area in the Suvla vicinity that
matched with General Hamilton's description of a forest.

Four years later came news from Turkey of a gold fob-watch, looted from
the body of a British officer in Gallipoli. It was Frank Beck's. The watch was
Margeretta Beck, Frank's daughter, on her wedding day.

And so it is here that the story of the Vanished Battalion might have ended.

The Mystery...

Many years later, in April 1 965, at the 50th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, a former New
Zealand sapper called Frederick Reichardt issued an extraordinary testimony.

Supported by three other veterans, Reichardt claimed to have witnessed the supernatural
disappearance of the 5th Norfolks in August 1915.

According to Reichardt, on the afternoon in question he and his comrades had watched a
formation of 'six or eight' loaf-shaped clouds hovering over the area where the Norfolks were
pressing home their attack.

Into one of these low lying clouds marched the advancing battalion. An hour or so later, the
cloud 'very unobtrusively' rose and joined the other clouds overhead and sailed off, leaving no
trace of the soldiers behind them.

This strange story first appeared in a New Zealand publication.

Despite its unreliable provenance and inconsistencies (Reichardt got the wrong date, the
wrong battalion and the wrong location), this version of events captured popular imagination
at that time.

More recent and detailed research for a BBC television documentary in 1991 called "All the
King's Men." suggested that Reichardt's story of the battalion-lifting cloud may have been a
little confused. More significantly the BBC research unearthed two new important items of
evidence.

The first piece of new evidence was an account of a conversation with the Rev Pierre-Point
Edwards some years after the war, which revealed an extraordinary detail he omitted from his
official report about the fate of the 5th Norfolks - namely, that every one of the bodies he

I- -V' v

Queer) Alexandria

later presented to

found had been shot in the head.

It was known that the Turks did not like taking prisoners. This was
confirmed by the second piece of evidence, which told the story of
Arthur Webber, who fought with the Yarmouth Company of the 5th
Norfolks during the battle of August 12, 1915.

According to his sister in-law, Arthur was shot in the face. As he lay
injured on the ground, he heard the Turkish soldiers shooting and
bayoneting the wounded and the prisoners around him. Only the
intervention of a German officer saved his life. His comrades were all
executed on the spot.

Arthur Webber died in 1969, aged 86, still with the Turkish sniper’s

Can the true fate of the 5th Battalion now be more fully explained?

In that after their bold dash through the wood on the 12th of August...

Colonel Beauchamp and the Sandringhams were overwhelmed by their T urkish enemies...
They were either captured or they surrendered...

The Turks took no prisoners...

So they were butchered... and buried.

Is this what became of the Vanished Battalion?

Update: Steve Smith, author of 'And They Loved Not Their Lives Unto Death: The History of
Worstead and Westwick's War Memorial and War Dead', has written a guest post for Historic
UK which may shed some light on the fate of the Vanished Battalion.

ALL THE

KING’S ME

All the Kings Men (amazon)

bullet in his head.

The Malleus Maleficarum - Historic Mysteries

october27 , 2010 historicmysteries.com

The Malleus Maleficarum “The Hammer of the Witches" is a book that outlines the characteristics of
“witches," how to “interrogate” them and what their punishment should be. This infamous book was
something of a manual during the Inquisitions. It was written by Inquisitors for Inquisitors. To the modern
eye, it is a horrifying lesson in misguided power, the danger of false religious superstitions and the
dangers of allowing a single religious institution to control the well-being of the public. It is quite possible
that the authors of the Malleus Maleficarum are responsible for more torture and death than any other
authors.

Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger finished the Malleus Maleficarum in 1486. It was published in
1487. Kramer and Sprenger were both members of the Dominican Order and they were both Inquisitors
for the Catholic Church. Their book was intended to be a guideline for other Inquisitors. It was meant to
aid them in detecting witches, tell them which rules to follow when questioning them and what
punishment should be eked out to those who were uncooperative or found guilty.

The first pail of the Malleus Maleficarum debates every argument against the reality of witchcraft. The
use of the word heretical is of note. They believed that those who did not believe in witchcraft were
heretics. The second and third parts of the Malleus Maleficarum outline what to look for in the search for
witches, information extraction and punishment.

It is interesting to note the criteria for being labeled a witch. Things like mental illness, unusual features,
living conditions and other such trivial things were believed to be proof of witchcraft. If you were to read
the Malleus Maleficarum, you would be likely to something that could have led to your torture, had you
lived in those dark times. Simply being accused of it by an enemy would have sufficed. It is also
interesting to note that many of the things these Inquisitors said witches do were most likely made up
completely. It makes one wonder what kind of men invented this book. It is entirely fictitious, sadistically
so, in many ways.

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The Malleus Maleficarum

The Malleus Maleficarum does talk about torture more than an empathetic
person would care to see. However, it does not specifically outline the torture
methods that were used during the Inquisition. Instead, it refers Inquisitors to
Canonical Law, which did grant them the right to use some of the most
despicable forms of torture ever devised by humankind. Common belief holds
that the Malleus Maleficarum was banned just four years after it was written.
However, it does not seem to appear on the first official list of banned books
by the Catholic Church. Otherwise known as the “Pauline Index,” Pope Paul
IV's list did not include the Malleus Maleficarum. Still, it may have been
banned, but it was not out of print or use. It was printed numerous times in the
16th and 17th century. It was also used extensively by both the Catholics and
Protestants.

Sources

Lovelace, Wicasta, Introduction to Online Edition, retrieved 8/30/10,
malleusmaleficarum.org

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The Man From Taured

February 23, 2015

historicmysteries.com

One hot July day in Haneda Airport, Tokyo likely
began as just another excessively warm day for the
staff at Customs. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of
people trotted through the airport without a second
glance. That was with the exception of a solitary
bearded man.

For reasons that aren’t apparently clear, he became
the focus of attention for at least one customs official.
Perhaps it was the climate or simple nerves. By all
appearances, this man was just another passenger. A
smartly dressed businessman is surely just another
body to deal with in a busy environment like an airport.
In the less security conscious days of 1954, he must
have done or said something that garnered extra
attention. When pressed, he stated that this was just another business trip for him, one of
several that he had made during the course of the year. His native tongue was French, but
Japanese was just one of numerous languages that he was fluent with.

Concerned about the possibility of facing a trafficker and/or smuggler, officials began to
question the man. When asked where he was from, he casually informed officials that he was
from Taured. Not familiar with such a place, they pressed for further details. The passenger
seemed only too happy to furnish additional data; Taured was a nation situated between
France and Spain, which had been in existence for a millennia. The simple occurrence of a
customs check quickly descended into something resembling a farce, as neither side was
willing to accept that the other was being anything other than honest. Just as the customs
officials were adamant that no such place existed, the increasing irate passenger was
insistent that he was correct. He even produced his passport, issued in Taured, as proof. His
previous trips to Japan and elsewhere did appear in his passport as he had claimed; the
contents of his wallet had currency from several European nations. In an effort to remove all
confusion and expedite matters for them, customs offered their bizarre passenger the chance
to indicate where he was from. He pointed to the country we know as Andorra on a map.

Faced with the choice of what to do next, customs were at a loss. Nothing like this had
happened before, at least not to them. The only real course of action was to investigate the
matter further. To do so, they invited the man to spend the night at a local hotel while their
inquiries took place. He agreed. As a precaution, a pair of armed guards were stationed
outside his hotel room. Japanese customs still had no idea if this man was who he claimed to
be. The hotel he originally booked a room at had no knowledge of a booking in his name. The
company who he was due to meet with had no idea who the man was or even the company
he said he represented. The bank that issued his cheque-book couldn’t be found anywhere
either.

Who was the mystery man from Taured or is this
just an elaborate legend? Photo credit: CanStock

Convinced that they had caught a criminal in an act that he was yet to perpetrate, customs
ordered the passenger’s return for further questioning. However, when his hotel room was
opened, no trace of the man could be found. Of the two ways out of his room, the lack of a
balcony and a recognised escape attempt ruled out the window. Neither guard noticed
movement within the room either and the door was certainly not opened all night long.
Stranger still, all of the man’s personal documents, such as his cheque-book, passport and
driver’s licence had also disappeared from within the airport security room.

From that day to this, the Man from Taured was never heard from again.

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The Man Who Wrote "Puff, the Magic Dragon" Swears It's Not
About Drugs

By Pamela Chelin

Tuesday, February 3, 2015 laweekly .Com

Photo by Jonah Lipton
Leonard Lipton

Puff was a dragon. A magic dragon. He lived by the sea.
OK, we already know what you are thinking. The autumn
mist in which Puff and his sidekick Jackie Paper frolicked
was actually a haze of marijuana smoke, right?

Over half a century has passed since Brooklyn native
Leonard Lipton, then a 19-year-old engineering student at
Cornell, wrote the poem “Puff, the Magic Dragon” upon
which ‘60s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary based their 1963
hit song of the same name. But on almost a daily basis,
Lipton is still asked what he calls “the question”: Is "Puff

about drugs?

Sitting in the living room of his Laurel Canyon home, dressed casually in Birkenstocks, with a
fresh cup of tea and one of his two dogs nestled in his lap, Lipton laughs and says, “This is
truly bizarre now that I think about it. It’s truly crazy. What 'they' usually say is, ‘You know, I
am going to ask "the question."’ Everybody wants to talk about it." Just last night, Lipton says
he was approached by a stranger who asked “the question” while he was at an awards
ceremony.

Lipton is and has always been vehement that "Puff, the Magic Dragon" is not about drugs. To
Lipton, a father of three (he has two sons and a daughter, now ranging in age from 1 7 to 20),
“A song for little kids that advocates the use of drugs would not be appropriate. Advocating
marijuana for little kids is not a good thing.

"My poem was directly inspired by a poem called 'A Tale of Custard the Dragon,"' published
by Ogden Nash in 1936. "Pirates and dragons, back then, were common interests in stories
for boys. The Puff story is really just a lot like Peter Pan.”

He says one of the worst incidents of “the question” occurred years ago when Lipton was
being deposed in a lawsuit in which he was not a litigant, but simply testifying on behalf of an
inventor. He says a lawyer grilled him with questions, including asking about Puff and its
meaning despite the fact “that it had nothing at all to do with the litigation.”

Though “the question” used to so annoy Lipton that, for a while, he tried to distance himself
entirely from Puff, he says now, at 74 years of age, he’s lightened his attitude. “I’ve gotten
somewhat softer or less irritable. Now I don't care. I mean, there are various ways to handle
it. When people ask, I can let them hang. Or I can help them.”

He attributes the creation of "the myth" to (now deceased) journalist Dorothy Kilgallen, a New
York newspaper columnist. According to Lipton, she wrote a column saying "Puff" was about
drugs, which was quickly picked up by Newsweek, who then called Lipton for an interview.
“She started ‘the myth.' But if she hadn't done it, someone else would have,” says Lipton.

Despite 52 years of categorical denials, Lipton says he thinks it’s unlikely that either “the
question” or the drug perception will die. “Fifty years ago, I could not have imagined we’d still
be having this conversation.” The only reason it remains a point of contention with Lipton is
that he’d like to see the story of Puff turned into a feature film. “It's not a good thing because
it's prevented my dramatic exploitation of the property. It's inhibited it. There are some people
for whom that would be a stumbling block.”

Lipton, who has produced 25 independent films, is certainly no stranger to the filmmaking
process. He began experimenting with film projectors when, at 8 years of age, he was given a
16 millimeter projector by his father. “It was a toy, but I really understood how it worked. I
didn't take it apart as much as I really understood how it worked, so I made other things like
it.”

A prolific inventor, with 68 patents and dozens more pending, Lipton has won a variety of
awards, including one from the Smithsonian Institution which hangs in a hallway just off of his
living room. While he beams proudly at the framed certificate and accompanying medallion,
he is also quick to shrug and, with a resigned tone, say, “No one cares."

"I invented the modern way to project a stereoscopic movie. Specifically, the REAL 3D
system, a stereoscopic camera in the early '80s for shooting movies. At that time, a patent
lasted 17 years after it was granted, so it's long gone but, as as far as I can tell, it became the
basis for how people now shoot 3D movies with a camera.”

Lipton says his fate seems to be that he will not be duly recognized for his accomplishments.
“The motion picture industry has made billions of dollars from my invention and they would be
in the red and not the black if I had not done what I did. So you would think that they would
appreciate it. I don’t expect any recognition because it’s a field people don't respect, because
they consider it to be a gimmick and foolishness.”

Photo by Jonah Lipton
Leonard Lipton

Lipton feels there is a lot more that can be
done with 3D film technology. Currently, he's
working with a colleague on a new patent.
“Right now, it’s hard to shoot stereoscopic
film. Almost every one you see in theaters is
obviously computer generated. If it's a
cartoon or if you see a superhero movie, they
are essentially green screen movies. Their
great defect is they're not generally movies
about the human condition in which acting

Photo by Jonah Upton

and actors can shine.

"They don’t shoot superhero movies in 3D. They shoot them on film and then convert them to
3D in a laborious post production process that can take a couple of thousand people. I've
worked on a technique with my colleague that can allow an existing digital movie camera to
take stereoscopic movie images. But studios won’t use it as long as they think stereoscopic is
just confined to superhero movies.”

As to his current interests, he recounts a recent San Pedro expedition where he
photographed dolphins from a small boat. Enthusiastically, he rushes out of his living room to
grab books of his photographs from his home office, which is lined with pictures people have
made of Puff, and a signed copy of The Far Side's Puff spoof ("Dear Lenny, with best wishes,
Gary Larson"). Along one wall are three shelves filled with Buddha figures which Lipton says
belonged to his father-in-law. Beyond his desk and computer, the rest of his office is lined
with books.

Apart from the air quality and traffic, he enjoys life in Los Angeles, where he and his wife Julie
have lived for the past 10 years. "But in any big city, traffic is terrible. You have to love your
car and like listening to music or the radio."

Peter,

Peter, Paul and Mary
International Talent Associates via
Wikimedia Commons

When asked if he listens to Peter, Paul
and Mary, he is instantly dismissive.
“No. Their music was OK. Now it's
strictly from hunger if you listen to it. It's
kind of boring.” He prefers classical
music, reggae, Frank Sinatra, some
'50s and '60s songs, and composers
Sergei Prokofiev and Bernard
Herrmann.

As to his lifelong love of poetry, he’s currently reading Cold Mountain, the zen poems of 9th
century Chinese poet Han-shan, and Greek philosopher Heraclitus' epigrams. He cites an
epigram which he says is akin to a Buddhist koan: “The way up and the way down are one
and the same.” He laughs at the suggestion that this ancient wisdom could easily apply to life
in starry-eyed Los Angeles.

Lipton, who has published four books and written for many magazines, including American
Cinematographer, is still writing poems. But don't expect to hear them in any songs anytime
soon. "I didn't like the music business from what I saw of it," he says.

And listen, if you see him around, you need not ask him about Puff, OK? Sometimes a
dragon is just a dragon.

THE MELON HEADS!!

archive.org

INI ? AftCMtVl

Wayback Machine

These big-headed children have been rumored to roam the woods surrounding Wisner
and King Memorial Roads in Chardon. They only come out at night and seem to be
incredibly shy, often running away from from others who spot them.

Some believe these children were victims of freak medical experiments conducted by
a Dr. Crow (or Crowe), who injected their heads with water or chemicals.

Another version of the story explains that the children's maladies were birth defects
caused by Mr. Crowe's exposure to radiation during his work as a government
scientist. The children later died and were buried in secret graves somewhere within
the woods.

Are they ghosts? Or are they living descendants of The Melon Head Family, who
continue to live in seclusion?

Interestingly, there is a cemetery nearby called King Memorial Cemetery. While it does
not appear that Dr. Crow is buried here, there is a marker for a gentleman by the name
of CROWER.

Even if they did exist at one time, it's hardly likely that they can still be found in this
area. Massive real estate development here is largely to blame. As of February 2002,
there seems very little in the way of "woods" along King Memorial Road. Needless to
say, no Melon Heads were found. Perhaps they relocated elsewhere.

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The Mine's Vengeful Wraith - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

by admin • February 3, 2015

— I3KALCRS IN —

FAWCY OROdSFSSE

HEAVY STAPLES,

KI.OJIK 1IACOM, H.VY, FliJvO, It to.

IV- kiw i K(«rfllunr in «lnri an nr link (ft kUpfT I liC uC » L*3

mine

He befriended two immigrant miners at the old camp years earlier. One was an Irishman
named Barney and the other was an Englishman named Bob. The two were new to America,
but developed a friendship while they worked in the same stretch of mine. Regardless of their
differences, they became the best of friends.

Unfortunately, both Bob and Barney fell in love with the same girl. They were always civil and
respectful with one another, but the conflict began to strain their friendship. Like all love
triangles, the struggles had to end. Eventually, she chose Barney to be her betrothed. Bob
quietly walked away and nothing more was said. The two never openly fought or argued, but
coworkers noticed a subtle change between them. Bob grew more impatient and less genial
towards Barney.

Time passed and most of their coworkers were certain the quiet acrimony had faded. Weeks
had passed and the tense relationship returned to normal. One day, Bob ran from the mine
where they’d been working. He yelled for help because there had been an accident. The
workers rushed to where the two had been busy. The Irishman was crushed beneath a
massive pile of rubble.

No one suspected anything unusual, at first. Miners dug Barney’s body out and dusted the
rubble from it, but something was unusual. There was a strange, deep wound in the
Irishman’s forehead. It didn’t look anything like the usual injuries sustained from crushing
rocks. The miners had never witnessed an injury like it. Whispers began immediately, and so
did talk of how strange it was the Englishman didn’t have a single bruise from such a slide.
Usually, the rocks fell too quickly for anyone to fully escape a slide.

The death, deemed “accidental,” set of a chain reaction. Many of the coworkers quit after that
day. They declared the death was suspicious and something terrible would happen because
of it. Many believed Barney was dead before the rocks ever fell on him. They suspected
divine retribution was on its way.

The old timer in the tavern was one of the miners who remained with the company. They
noticed a change in the Englishman. He developed an intense fear of that spot in the mine.

He went everywhere the company assigned him, but hesitated when it came to that particular
spot. He reasoned he couldn’t take the grief of losing such a dear friend.

GOOt>LOE & you ELL,

An old southwest Virginia mine operator
discussed his career in the 1890s, during a trip to
Richmond, Virginia. He visited a historic tavern
and ordered a drink. The curious locals got him
talking about life in the mines. The story he went
on to tell brought the tavern to silence.

A month eventually passed and the Englishman was placed in another part of the mine, with
a new group of men. The group went deeper into the mine, and that work required torchlight
to see. Work proceeded as usual for a few days, but one day a gust of wind snuffed the
flame.

One man volunteered to get a replacement, so the rest of the group waited in the darkness.
Several workers grew apprehensive. They didn’t believe the wind was natural. There was
something wrong with it. It was too frigid and came too forceful as opposed to what they
normally encountered. Even the most frightened still held onto their pride. As a whole, no one
was worried enough to mention it.

The Englishman said he saw a light just down the tunnel, but no one else saw it. He said he’d
just seen a man in the corridor below carry a light. He said he would go get a light from him
and took off.

A couple of men followed Bob at a distance. They were in a bituminous mine with several
open shafts in the ground. They didn’t want him to fall. A few seconds later, they halted. The
Englishman screamed, he begged Barney to be merciful. They heard another shriek and
seconds later, a deep splash of water.

The miner who’d first gone to retrieve the light started running when he heard Bob’s screams.
The men reached where Bob had been, on the rim of a deep mine. They looked down into
the test-hole below. Bob floated in the water with a great bloody gash on his forehead, just
like the one found on Barney.

From that point on, Bob’s spirit wandered that portion of the mine until the company closed its
mining operations forever.

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The Missing Lord Lucan

September 19, 2014

historicmysteries.com

Here’s what probably happened: on the evening of November 7, 1974,
Richard John Bingham (the seventh Earl of Lucan) snuck into the
London house occupied by his estranged wife and their children. His
intent was clearly to murder his wife, Lady Lucan. Lord Lucan felt he
had good reason to murder his wife. Due to his enormous gambling
debts, his wife had thrown him out of their house the previous year.

He wanted custody of their three children, and he was sure his wife
would fight him as he attempted to get them.

Crouching in the dark, he saw his wife come down the staircase and
walk towards the darkened kitchen. He quickly took the metal pipe he
had brought with him and bashed his wife repeatedly on the back of
the head, killing her almost instantly. He probably smiled, thinking he
had successfully accomplished what he had set out to do.

But he had made a mistake. It wasn’t his wife he’d killed, it was the nanny of his children.

After he saw the nanny dead at his feet, Lord Lucan panicked. Not only had he killed the
wrong woman, but he soon heard his intended victim coming down the stairs. Hiding once
again, he attacked his wife with the same lead pipe and bashed her about the head, although
he stopped before actually killing her. Bizarrely, he then apologized for his behavior and
showed his wife the dead body of the nanny.

Lady Lucan quickly left the house and ran down to a local pub and, bleeding from the head,
asked for someone to call the police.

When the police arrived, Lord Lucan was gone. The body of the nanny was found in the
kitchen in a large sack, as if he was going to try to take the body out of the house to dispose
of it, but had stopped and fled the house instead.

Later that night he called his mother and gave a false version of what had happened. He
stated that he had been outside the house, peeping through the windows, when he saw a
strange man attack the nanny and then attack his wife. He used the key he still had for the
house and burst in, scaring the stranger into running out the back of the house and climbing
over a wall and making an escape.

When the police subsequently heard this story from his mother, they knew it was a
fabrication. Lady Lucan had told them exactly who had attacked her.

Lord Lucan fled London but left a clear trail of where he went next. He drove in a friend’s car
down south to the home of some wealthy friends. He told them the same story he had told his
mother and implored them to help him. He made several phone calls to acquaintances,
repeating the false story, and wrote a letter to his brother-in-law.

Seventh Earl of Lucan

Then he left his friends’ house and vanished forever.

The car was found several days later, with no sign of Lord Lucan but with the bloody lead
pipe in the car.

The police believed Lord Lucan might have fled to France, but they were never able to trace
him beyond where he had abandoned the car.

Over time, stories of Lord Lucan’s whereabouts have been reported, but all of the suspected
men turned out to be someone else. Lucan has supposedly been spotted in New Zealand,
India and Africa. The African connection may have possible merit: his three young children
once travelled to that continent for unknown reasons.

Should Lord Lucan be found, he would still be required to stand trial for a murder he
committed forty years ago.

The police are still searching.

SOURCE:

Price, Bill. “History’s Greatest Mysteries and the Secrets Behind Them.”

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1/11/2015

The Monsters of Christmas | Atlas Obscura

The Monsters of Christmas

atlasobscura.com

by Sarah Elizabeth T roop / 25 Dec 2013

Many of the ancient pagan observances during midwinter have been transformed or forgotten
by our modern society. If you look into the origins of traditions practiced around Christmas
today, you might be surprised to discover that the Christmas pastimes you know so well are
themselves teeming with the macabre and strange.

However, in some countries where people have held fast to these ancient traditions,
Christmas brings with it unthinkable terrors. For some, Christmas is a season filled with
supernatural goings-on, ghosts, witches, magic, and especially monsters.

KRAMPUS

all illustrations by Dylan
Thuras

Santa's European counterpart and earliest incarnation — Saint
Nicholas — brings something other than just presents to your house.
He brings along a demonic sidekick, Krampus. While the good
children get gifts from Saint Nicholas, Krampus is given leave to
mercilessly beat the naughty ones, shove them into his sack, and
carry them promptly to Hell.

MARI LWYD - THE CHRISTMAS ZOMBIE HORSE

This macabre skeleton mare of Welsh
tradition rises from the dead and wanders
the streets with her attendants, who are also
fresh from the grave, to remind the living of
their existence. Mary Lwyd has only one
goal in mind — to get into your house. To
keep the zombie horse out, you must
engage in a battle of wits... in rhyme no less,
usually on New Year's Eve, where the
undead mare is represented by a puppeteer
parading a horse skull on a pole draped in
white cloth.

LA BEFANA AND BABOUSHKA

In Italy, Russia, and parts of Eastern Europe, we encounter a witch-like lady rooted in the
fairy tale figure of Mother Holle who doles out punishments for the lazy, and riches for the
hard working. In Italy she is known as La Befana and in Russia, Baboushka. Each January,
she packs up and sets off on a broomstick to join the three kings who are also seeking the
Christ Child. She searches every house and if she finds a child there, she leaves cookies and
gifts behind.

PERCHTA

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On New Year's Eve, Perchta roams the earth rewarding those who
are hard working and generous, and punishing the idle and greedy.
Her punishment of choice involves slashing open your stomach so
she may violently rip out your intestines, which are then replaced by
straw, rocks, and garbage. The tradition of having goose for
Christmas is sometimes linked to witches like Perchta, who is often
depicted as having a goose foot, along with the belief that goose fat
enabled witches to fly.

STRAGGELE

In many places, such as Switzerland,
Perchta rides with a throng of demonic-
looking helpers — known as Straggele —
who love to partake of the feast offerings left
out for them on Christmas by people hoping
for Perchta’s blessings of wealth and health
in the new year. In some places, Straggele
get to dole out the punishments themselves
and aren’t terribly discerning as they rob all
bad children and tear them to pieces in the
air.

THE TOMTEN

article-image

A creature from Scandinavian folklore who bears a resemblance to a
gnome and lives among the dead inside burial mounds, the Tomten
acts as a caretaker, protector, and helper of the household, that is if
you don't anger him. The Tomten has quite the temper and is known
for driving people insane with his tricks or biting them. The bites —
being poisonous — typically lead to death. You would be well
advised to leave a gift of food out on Christmas Eve for this fellow.

BELSNICKEL

In some German and Pennsylvannia Dutch communities, Belsnickel
shows up a couple weeks before Christmas, filthy and dressed in
rags and furs to beat the children who have misbehaved. As an 1872
Philadelphia newspaper recounted: "Mr. Belsnickel [makes] his
personal appearance dressed in skins or old clothes, his face black, a bell, a whip, and a
pocket full of cakes or nuts; and either the cakes or the whip are bestowed upon those
around...” Back in the 19th century it was popular for rowdy revelers to go "Belsnicking" and
get drunk, vandalize the city, and play pranks.

PERE FOUETTARD

article-image

Pere Fouettard made his first appearance in 1 1 50, when he and his wife lured a trio of young

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article-image

boys into their butcher shop so they could rob them. Fouettard slit
their throats and butchered the children, placing their remains in a
barrel. When Saint Nicholas discovered the crime, he resurrected the
boys and punished Fouettard by forcing the butcher into his eternal
service. Now, this villain appears alongside Saint Nicholas and
dispenses coal and floggings to those who deserve them.

GRYLA

One of Iceland’s most renowned figures
associated with Christmas — Gryla — is a
giant troll who is in a perpetual bad mood
due to her insatiable hunger... for children.
Each Christmas, Gryla comes down from her
mountain dwelling to hunt for naughty
children. She places them in a sack and
drags them back to her cave where she boils
them alive for her favorite stew. Oh, and she
has thirteen sons — the Yule Lads.

THE YULE LADS

article-image

each night on the thirteen days leading up to
such charmers as:

The thirteen sons of
Gryla, the Yule Lads
are each known for
a particular habit or
characteristic, much
like the Disney
version of Snow
White's seven
dwarves. Most of
them are depicted
as mischievous
pranksters and petty
criminals. Icelandic
children are visited
Christmas by a different Yule Lad, including

article-image

"Sheep Cote Clog," a peg-legged sheep fancier; "Gully Hawk" who hides out in ditches or
gullies and waits for an opportune moment to run into the cow shed and lick the foam off the
milk in the milking buckets; "Stubby" whose name denotes his stature as he is unusually
short; "Spoon Licker," a licker and thief of spoons; "Pot Scraper" who is a petty thief of
leftovers; "Bowl Licker" who hides under your bed and waits for you to absentmindedly put
down your bowl so he can steal and yes, lick it; "Door Slammer" who slams doors all night;
"Skyr Gobbler" who eats "skyr" yogurt; "Sausage Swiper" who steals sausage; "Window

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Peeper" who watches you from the windows; "Doorway Sniffer" who uses his incredibly large
nose to sniff through doors to find bread; "Meat Hook" who always brings a hook along with
him so he can steal meat; and "Candle Stealer" who follows children around so he can steal
their candles, leaving them in the dark.

THE YULE CAT

The pet of both Gryla and The Yule Lads, the Yule Cat’s prey
consists of both children and adults. Unlike the other Christmas
monsters, this cat does not care about your misdeeds during the
year. The only insurance against being torn apart and eaten by this
giant feline is receiving an article of new clothing for Christmas. Shop
wisely.

Illustrations by Dylan Thuras.

Find more about the horrors of Christmas on Sarah Elizabeth Troop's
blog: A Scary Little Christmas.

article-image

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The most convincing ghost pic

contactoparanormal.us

Many would say that is a chilling
picture, or the skeptics, at least,
recognize that it is intriguing. He was
the winner of a competition to select the
"ghost photograph of convincing the
world. The image shows a human
figure in vintage dress a window in a
castle in Scotland in the UK, at a time
when the site was supposed empty.

Taken in May 2008, the photo shows
what looks like a person wearing a
ruff, this motif was placed in the neck several hundred years ago , and looking behind
the bars of a window in the Castle Tantallon in LothianEast .

The funny thing is that in the castle no dummies are used and their guides do not wear
costumes. Three Photographic Experts confirmed that the image was not manipulated.

Is this the rey or shade?

James V of Scotland

Christopher Aitchison , a visitor to the castle who took the photo, said: ”1 did not realize
someone or something was present in the image until I got home and noticed the anomaly".

Castillo empty but full of mysteries ...

Aitchison said: "Some people have suggested that it could be the reflection of light on the
stones."

But "someone even suggested that it might be of King James V of Scotland".

The contest received more than 250 images from several countries and their call was part of
the 21th edition of the International Science Festival Edinburgh. The event's agenda includes
a workshop on "The Science of Ghosts" which purported evidence of the existence of spirits
will be analyzed.

Ghosts "in the brain"

The psychologist Richard Wiseman , who has studied the so-called supernatural
phenomena and who made the competition notice did not rule out that maybe someone
appears and is identified as "spectrum" of the winning photo.

Wiseman, who does not believe in ghosts, explains the importance of the human figure in our
psyche causes the brain is programmed to see faces even when they are not real.

Moreover, Dr. Caroline Watt , University of Edinburgh and co-organizer of the festival, says
that despite the inexplicable some captured by the cameras images, photos "we received
not provide convincing evidence"of the existence of the spirits.

"If there seem real ghosts who fear the cameras," he
concludes.

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The Murder of Elsie Lawson - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

by admin • November 1, 2014

BODY OF ELSIE LAWSON FOUND ALMOST
STRIPPED OF CLOTHING THIS MORNING
UNDER BLEACHERS OF BASEBALL PARK

eisie lawson

Elsie Lawson was a bright and vivacious 11-year-old in 1921. She lived with herfamily at the
end of Pulp Row, or “Chinch Row" in Kingsport, Tennessee. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Lawson had three brothers and a sister. It shocked the region when her body was
found in early June. Lawson's body was beneath the bleachers of the old Appalachian
League baseball field on Clay Street.

The Scene

W. B. Hill was the business manager for Kingsport’s baseball club. Hill went to retrieve some
tools on June 7, at 7:30 am. They were stored beneath the bleachers. He walked into the
area and came to a sudden stop. He could see a lifeless body in the distance. He didn’t
approach it because he knew it was a crime scene, even from a distance. He couldn’t make
out details, but the body was unnaturally still. He immediately summoned the authorities.

Chief of Police Cam King was among the first responders. The crime was particularly heinous
as the victim was a child who had been undressed from the waist down, violated, her head
crushed, and her throat cut. The killer had left her bottom half exposed.

Spectators continued coming to the field. Estimates claimed over one thousand people had
come to the field by that afternoon. The child’s parents came, but King refused to let them
see their daughter in that condition. Rather than viewing the body at that point, he had the
parents’ describe her clothing. King brought in a group of bloodhounds to assist in the search
for the killer.

The Parents

The parents were nearly hysterical when they arrived. Elsie didn’t come home the night
before, but the parents were certain she’d just gone to her grandmother’s to stay the night.
Their assurances disappeared when they discovered her grandmother hadn’t seen her. Elsie
was a rambunctious “tomboy” who couldn’t be kept inside, regardless of threat. They couldn’t
find their daughter anywhere, and were mortified when their neighbors informed them a body
had been found at the field.

Elsie liked to play on the old baseball field when it wasn’t in use. Her father, Charles, was an
employee at the Meade fiber plant, where Elsie enjoyed sliding down the huge fiber piles.

Her parents also carried the brunt of many well meaning, albeit pointless, neighborhood
rumors. Despite their devastating loss, people told the papers that little Elsie had bad clothes
and was poorly dressed. Some even claimed she carried cigarettes when she could find
them.

Elsie’s funeral service was held at the parents’ home on June 9, at 10 am. Reverend Seigle
B. Ogle, pastor of the Baptist Church, lead the service. The parents barely held up under their
grief, and her mother grew hysterical several times. Elsie was then taken to the city cemetery,
near Lovedale, for burial.

A Curious Suspect

Uern Quillen was as strange as his name implied. He wasn’t sure of his own age. He
guessed it was around 18 or maybe 19. He had a slight build and at 5’ 8", he only weighted
120 pounds. He was one of five boys. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. William Quillen, who
lived near the Federal Dye Plant.

Johnson City Sheriff W. A. Walters arrested Quillen in Fordtown that afternoon. Rumors
already traveled from people who had witnessed Quillen with the Lawson girl. He had obvious
bloody prints on his clothing when they took him in. Uern seemed nervous after they arrested
him, but was talkative to authorities. His preliminary hearing was initially scheduled for June
10. He didn’t talk to relatives after his arrest.

His mother tried to visit him in the Blountville jail the next day, but he wasn’t there. The
authorities moved him to the jail in Marion, Virginia, due to the public’s outrage. They feared a
lynch mob. Because they had to move him, his preliminary hearing was postponed until June
14. He would appear before Magistrate H. H. Massengill. He pled “not guilty.”

Eventually, Attorney John R. Todd came to Quillen’s aid. He believed Quillen was a simple-
minded man who was incapable of committing such an atrocious crime. He thought the
authorities were rushing the case and the real killer could still be free, possibly targeting
another child. He believed Quillen was uneducated and simple-minded. Quillen also had J. C.
Phillips as a defense attorney.

Preliminary Proceedings

Prosecuting Attorney General Lovette was assisted by the firm of Barnes & Worley. By the
preliminary hearing, Quillen still hadn’t found an attorney. Already, there was implicating
evidence against him. Several witnesses came forward to report they’d watched Quillen
talking with Elsie that night. The shirt and shoes he wore when arrested had blood on them.

Quillen said the blood came from his finger because of an injury while playing baseball. The
authorities examined his hands, but didn’t find any injury that might produce that amount of
blood.

Quillen said it was impossible. He couldn’t have committed the murder. A game was played
that afternoon between Kingsport and Knoxville, but he left as soon as the game ended. He
said he walked to the railroad station and then over to the Strand Theater on Main Street. He
tried to watch a movie in exchange for sweeping the theater, but they refused. He then went
to the Five Points Theater, where they allowed it. After the film, he returned to his Sullivan
Street house.

Good from the Bad

The brutality that little Elsie suffered was not all in vain. Local leaders began questioning their
way of life. Kingsport had established curfew hours. The citywide ordinance had existed for a
long time, but enforcement had waned. They reintroduced the old orders and children were
no longer allowed out without an adult between the hours of 9 pm and 5 am. Locals all
believed Elsie would still be alive, had they not been so lax.

The Trial

Todd was prepared to defend Quillen as well as any attorney could within the boundaries of
the justice system. Unfortunately, things began to come out that he never anticipated. The
jury consisted of E. E. Morrell, J. B. Morrell, S. W. Ray, John Dillow, Harry Slaughter, A. A.
Kidd, James Owen, E. S. Jones, C. V. Logan, A. A. Warren, Em. M. Hull, and A. D. Blaylock.

Jackson Isaacs was the crime scene photographer for the Kingsport police. He brought
pictures to and displayed them for the jury. Dr. T. B. Yancey, Kingsport’s City Health
Inspector, had examined the body prior to its release to the family. Semen was found in the
body. She was killed by a crushing blow to the skull with a blunt object. The authorities found
a heavy hemlock wood club near the body. Several unnamed witnesses claimed to have
seen Quillen with Elsie late into the night, a couple of them stated they noticed them as late
as 11 pm.

Chief of Police King was called to the stand. He said the tracks around the body were
identical to the tread on Quillen’s shoes. He also said those tracks had walked in tandem with
the little girl’s bare feet prints. Defense Attorney Phillips cross-examined King, but there
wasn’t any issue with his story.

The most incriminating evidence came from Charles Lawson himself. Uern had been at their
house numerous times in the weeks leading up to the murder. It had reached the point where
Lawson threatened Quillen with his gun if he didn’t stay away from his children.

Todd’s Nightmare

The defense had argued to the best of their abilities, but they pushed for a life sentence,
should Quillen be convicted. Todd was speechless by the end of the trial. He knew Quillen
was guilty.

Judge D. A. Vines gave Quillen a life sentence on October 3, 1921. Todd visited Quillen in
one last attempt to pull the truth from him. Quillen said the two witnesses who claimed they

saw him with Elsie after 1 1 had committed perjury. He knew it was a lie because he killed her
right after 7 pm. Todd wrestled further information from him. He could only get Quillen to
admit he followed her into the baseball parkjust before he killed her. He wouldn’t discuss
anything further. Quillen then actually asked Todd if he would file an appeal after he
confessed, but Todd refused.

Todd then spoke with several other inmates who’d lived with Quillen, and to his horror, they
all knew he was guilty. He’d already admitted it to them. The other inmates noticed Quillen
was much too restless and unable to sleep. Something bothered him and they picked and
pried until he admitted it.

Quillen’s poor parents never recovered from his conviction or admission. Even though he was
so young, Quillen only narrowly escaped the electric chair. Nine jurors out of eleven wanted
to give him the death penalty. He attempted to get paroled in 1938, but was denied. Quillen
lived out the rest of his days at the Brushy Mountain Penitentiary.

Relevant Information:

• Chinch Row was a community of workers’ shanty houses, many only had 1-2 rooms.
This area was also known as “Pulp Mill Village.”

• Kingsport’s baseball team at the time was the Kingsport Indians. Kingsport’s team
was disbanded in 1925 after incurring over $1 1 ,000 in debt. The Appalachian League
baseball field was also consolidated and disappeared into history.

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The Mysteries of the Piri Reis Map of 1513 - Historic
Mysteries

April 29, 2010

historicmysteries.com

Considered to be one of the most beautiful, most interesting, most
mysterious maps to have survived from the Great Age of
Discoveries, it is also one of the least understood maps in the
history of explorations.

The Piri Reis Map was discovered in 1929 by Bay Halil Etham,
director general of the Topkapki Serai in Istanbul, while the palace
was being converted to a museum of antiquities. The map itself is
actually only one-third of a larger world map, the rest having being
lost.

Introduction

The map shows the western coast of Africa, the eastern coast of
South America, and the northern coast of Antarctica. The northern
coastline of Antarctica is shown in perfect detail. Many different claims have been made
about this map, that it is the oldest map of the Americas, that it includes a copy of a map
made by Christopher Columbus in 1498, and that it the most accurate map made in the
sixteenth century. Others argue that it shows evidence of the mapmaker’s skill and ability to
measure and perform spherical trigonometry calculations centuries ahead of its time and that
it shows proof of a worldwide seafaring civilization existing tens of thousands of years ago.

The map was made by the famous Ottoman admiral known as Piri Reis. He was born
Muhiddin Piri, probably in Gallipoli, about 1465-70. At the young age of twelve, he joined the
crew of his uncle, an admiral in the Ottoman navy, and served under his tutelage for fourteen
years. Six of those years were spent along the coasts of North America, Italy, Spain, and the
islands of the western Mediterranean. Piri engaged in many sea battles under his uncle and
eventually captained his own ship during the war with Venice.

After the death of his uncle in 1530, Piri returned to Gallipoli and it is there that he
constructed the first of his two world maps. Four years later, he returned once again to the
sea for battle. Throughout his naval career, Piri Reis collected charts, made notes of the
places he sailed to, and made sketches of the coastlines and islands he visited. In 1528, he
made his second world map.

In 1554, when he was in his late eighties, he fell victim to the schemes of the Ottoman court.
After his defeat in a sea battle with the Portuguese, it was reported to the sultan by officials in
Egypt that Piri Reis had ran from the battle in order to save himself and his great treasure that
he had accumulated during his many decades of pirating with his uncle and service in the
Turkish navy. The sultan ordered him to be beheaded because he ran away from the battle
with the Portuguese, and his treasures were taken to the Topkapki Serai Palace in Istanbul.

First World Map

The Controversy

What is baffling is not so much how Piri Reis managed to draw such an accurate map of the
Antarctic region 300 years before it was discovered - but that the map depicts the coastline
under ice! Evidence confirms that the latest date Queen Maud Land could have been charted
in an ice-free state is 4000 BC.

Officially, science has been saying that the Antarctic has been covered by ice for at least a
million years however, the Piri Reis map shows the northern part of that continent has been
mapped before it was covered by ice. That would lead us to believe that it was mapped a
million years ago. But that’s impossible since mankind did not yet exist at that time.

Research has showed that Antarctica ended its ice free condition about 6000 years ago.
Therefore, the question is: Who mapped the Queen Maud Land of Antarctica 6000 years
ago? And what civilization had the means or the reason to do so?

Unusual Findings

There are many things that fasinate people about the Piri Reis map. It really makes you
wonder just how much more has happened thousands of years ago that we have no
knowledge of? Was there a civilization far more intelligent than we could ever imagine? If
so, what happened to them? Do we face the same kind of fate? Listed below are some of
the things that people have noticed about the Piri Reis Map of 1513:

• The maker of the map knew the accurate circumference of the Earth, within 50 miles.

• The coastline and island that are shown in Antarctica must have been navigated before
its ice-free period - prior to 4000 B.C.

• The map shows the Earth as seen from space.

REFERENCES:

“The Piri Reis Map” by Gregory C. Macintosh
www.world-mysteries.com

“The Mysteries of the Piri Reis Map” by Diego Cuoghi

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The Mysterious Iron Pillar of Delhi - Historic Mysteries

March 19, 2011 historicmysteries.com

The Quwwat-ul Mosque dates back to 1192. It
stands around the Iron Pillar in ruins, giving away
iron puiar and Quwwat-ui by Hyougushi / Hideyuki its great age. The mosque is a relic of an Islamic
KAMONfrom Takarazuka, Hyogo, japan India, long-standing, but not long past. The Iron
Pillar dates back even further than the ruined Islamic building, which surrounds it, but the iron
pillar gives away nothing of its age on first glance. It was forged 1,600 years ago (sometime
in the 300s) and moved to Delhi roughly 1,000 years ago, before the mosque was built. An
iron pillar that old should have fallen to dust and blown away with the breeze long before now.
Nonetheless, the Hindu-made pillar stands strong above the Islamic ruins that seem as
though they will fall to dust long before it does.

The Iron Pillar of Delhi is a nearly 24-ft. iron pillar
that is located in the Quwwat-ul Mosque. It weighs
more than 6 tons and is made of 98% wrought
iron. It is thought that the Iron Pillar of Delhi was
crafted using forge welding. The pillar is ornate,
but hardly awe-inspiring, unless one knows just
how long and mysterious the history of it is.

According to a popular translation of the Brahmi script upon the Iron Pillar of Delhi, the pillar
was made for a king (presumably of the Gupta period, given the era of its creation). It was
also made to honor one of the most important Hindu gods - Vishnu. Which Gupta king the
Iron Pillar was made for is not made clear by the inscription. However, it is widely believed
that the king to which the inscription refers is Chandragupta Vikramaditya.

The purpose of the Iron Pillar of Delhi is one of its many mysteries. Some say it was a
flagstaff made for the king mentioned in the inscription. Others say it was a sundial at its
original home in Madhya Pradesh. Why it is no longer in Madhya Pradesh is yet another
mystery. There is no evidence of who moved the pillar 1 ,000 years ago, how it was moved or
even why it was moved. All we can say for certain about this aspect of the history of the pillar
is that the mysterious Iron Pillar has been part of the Delhi landscape for a very long time.

The biggest and most talked about mystery regarding the Iron Pillar of Delhi is how it has
gone seemingly untarnished for this long. There is much said about the amazing pillar that
does not rust. This is not entirely accurate. It is certainly in unbelievable condition for its age.
However, it is not without rust. There is a small amount of rust beginning to appear on the
pillar. This does not make the pillar’s condition any less mysterious. As mentioned above, it
should not even exist anymore. So, how does it withstand the years? Answering that question
is not easy.

One of the main catalysts for rust is humidity and Delhi is not very humid. This could be one
of the factors in the natural preservation of the Iron Pillar of Delhi. Other possibilities include
the skill of the men who made the pillar, the quality of the materials used (unlikely) and

fortuitous conditions that caused a protective layer to appear on the pillar. Many sources cite
a protective layer of something called “misawite" as the reason for the Iron Pillar's condition.
However, the term misawite seems to appear only in conversation about the Iron Pillar, so it
is hard to test the veracity of those claims.

Like so many other mysterious objects, the Iron Pillar is not giving up its secrets easily and
some, sadly, may be lost to time forever. Someone may have erased the answers to the Iron
Pillar’s mysteries from the pages of history hundreds of years ago, never knowing that people
would eventually forget. War or a natural disaster could have claimed the pages of history
necessary to explain this strange artifact or the pages simply never existed. Alternatively, the
information is still out there waiting to be discovered, through analysis of the pillar itself or
rummaging through India’s rich history.

Sources

Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, The Corrosion Resistant Delhi Iron Pillar,
iitk.ac.in/infocell/Archive/dirnovl/ironpi llar.html

B.N. Goswamy, Enigma of the Iron Pillar, world-mysteries.com/sar_ironpillar.htm

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The Mystery of the Burke and Hare Murderdolls - Historic
Mysteries

April i, 2012 historicmysteries.com

The story of the Burke and Hare Murderdolls starts with a
series of murders committed in Edinburgh, Scotland that
occurred in the late 1820s. The mystery of the murderdolls
begins around the same time and continues until this day.

It is a strange mystery that may have some connection to
the guilt or sadistic obsessions of one of the killers.

Not long after a series of murders took place in Edinburgh,
Scotland, a boy found an interesting group of dolls in tiny
coffins. They found the dolls in a cave on Arthur’s Seat at
Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. Initially, the dolls appeared
odd, but did not seem to have any significance beyond
their oddness and the location in which they were found. Over time, it became obvious that
they were very similar in number and appearance to the victims of the recent killing spree.

William Burke and William Hare were two Irishmen who met in Scotland and became friends
sometime in the 1 820s. Hare ran a boarding house with his wife. There, in 1828, one of the
tenants died of natural causes. Burke and Hare sold the body of the man to a doctor at
Edinburgh University to be used as a medical school cadaver.

At the time, the medical schools had a shortage of bodies to use for dissection. They were
only allowed to use executed criminals and criminals were being executed less frequently.
Doctors were sometimes resorting to purchasing bodies from so-called body snatchers or,
more accurately, grave robbers. It appears that one Dr. Knox of the University of Edinburgh
was not averse to purchasing the bodies of murder victims, either, though it is not absolutely
certain that he was aware of the fact when he started doing it.

After selling the body of the deceased tenant, Burke and Hare realized that they could make a
living off selling the bodies of the dead. They were making less than the equivalent of 1 ,500
USD in modern currency per body, but that was enough to compel them to kill 16 individuals.
Many were killed by smothering, though one was given a medication overdose and a little boy
had his back broken. Eventually, a tenant found a body underneath a bed at the boarding
house and turned the pair into the police. The body was gone by the time the police got there.
However, Hare made a deal and told all in exchange for his freedom. Burke was executed
and dissected publicly and several of his body parts, included a death mask of his face, were
saved. Hare walked. No one knows what happened to him.

The dolls discovered in the cave numbered 17. They also appeared to represent each of the
bodies sold to Dr. Knox — who was not charged with any crime. The dolls are roughly 4
inches long each and have their own individual coffins. Dating puts them around the same
time as the murders and many assume that one of the killers is responsible for carving the
dolls. Modern DNA testing conducted on the body of Burke and on the dolls found no

Drawing of the two killers

connection, but that is because there was nothing to find on the dolls after all this time.

If indeed the dolls were made during the killings, only a handful of people could have done
the carving. There was Dr. Knox, who likely knew the cadavers he was purchasing were
murder victims. There were Burke and Hare, Hare’s mistress and Burke’s wife. Dr. Knox’s
brother possibly knew as well, but there were almost certainly no more people who could
have made the dolls. One of these people could have made the dolls out of guilt. Of course,
one of the killers could have made the dolls as souvenirs and stashed them in the cave when
the murders were discovered. Hare could have made them after Burke’s murder trial and
stashed them as well. If they were made after the murders were discovered, it could have
been anybody.

There are currently only 8 of the original 17 murder dolls left. They are kept at the National
Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The dissected remains of one of the men who killed the
people the dolls reportedly represent — Burke — are kept at the University of Edinburgh.

Sources

Burke & Hare Murder Dolls, retrieved 3/31/12, http://atlasobscura.com/place/burke-hare-
murder-dolls

Buried Secrets of the City Murder Dolls, retrieved

3/31/12, http://www.scotsman.com/news/buried_secrets_of_the_city_murder dolls l 967573

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historicmysteries.com

The Mystery of the Dropa Stones - Historic Mysteries

June 21, 2011

Inside of a cave system, one of the strangest
historic mysteries was discovered among the
graves of what appear to be a humanoid race. To
some, they tell a tale of aliens crashing in the
Himalayas, only to die and bury their artifacts with
them. Unfortunately, study of the Dropa Stones
has been made impossible by China, which has
ownership of the stones. The mystery is no closer
to being solved than the day the Dropa and their
stones were discovered.

Dropa stones in 1938, a team of archaeologists found the

graves of the Dropa while exploring a cave system in the Baian Kara Ula Mountains in the
Himalayas. The discovery was made in China, close to Tibet. There were several rows of
graves, all containing the remains of humans or humanoids that averaged about four feet in
height. Their arms and legs were reportedly very long in relation to their bodies. They also
had large heads. The archaeologists first assumed that they had found an ape graveyard.

The problem was that apes are not known to bury their dead.

Another interesting discovery in the caves was cave drawings of the sky. There are some
claims that carbon dating done of the pictures shows that they are between 1 0 and 1 2
thousand years old. This has not been confirmed. Further dating has not been attempted to
the public’s knowledge.

The Dropas did not reveal their secrets. For all we know, they were merely a pigmy race, but
they did give us one more thing to ponder - the Dropa Stones. The Dropa Stones are not
round stones, as you would imagine. They are actually disc shaped objects that are from a
few inches to several feet in size. Over the course of exploration, a total of 716 Dropa Stones
have been found. The discs have holes through the center of them. Some sources say that
these holes and discs show a perfection of artisanship. Only extensive study of the stones
could tell.

As if the stones themselves were not mysterious enough, researchers found another aspect
of them that baffled them even more. There are reportedly very thin spirals of text written on
the Dropa Stones. The text is so small that they looked like grooves initially. The language on
the texts is indecipherable, not because it is impossible to see, but because it is written in an
unknown language.

For more than twenty years, the Dropa Stones sat in the basement of Beijing University. No
new discoveries were made with them. Then, in 1962, Dr. Tsum Urn Nui announced that he
could read the language on the Dropa Stones. He said that a story was written on them, a
story about a group of aliens crashing in the Himalayas. The aliens then met and learned to
live with the people of the Ham tribe of the local area. They all lived amongst each other until

the aliens died.

Strangely, there are (or were) tribes called the Ham and the Dropa in the area during recent
times. The location of these people is something of a mystery in itself, but we do know that
they are roughly 4 feet tall and have large heads in proportion to their bodies. The average
weight of the people in these tribes is 38-52 pounds. It seems as if they could be ancestors of
the beings whose remains were found in the graves. If so, either their ancestors believed that
they were descended from aliens or they really were descended from aliens. That is of
course, if the discs were translated correctly. It could also simply be that these people are
short and so were the people who came before them. If they are aliens, it seems a little too
coincidental that they are simply short humans. Of all the potential aliens out there, the ones
we find are small people. Unlikely?

Another mystery surrounding the Dropa Stones is their age. If they were made at the time of
the cave drawings and the carbon dating was really done and done appropriately, it would
mean that the discs are roughly 1 1 ,000 years old. While experts are certain that the discs are
very old, it has not been determined if they are as old as the paintings. At this point in time,
we have no way of knowing who made them, if the translation of the text is correct or when
they were made. The Dropa Stones remain a mystery of the most intriguing sort.

Sources

Dropa Stones, retrieved 11/05/09, subversiveelement.com/DropaStones.html
Clemens, Martin J., The Chinese Dropa Stones Conspiracy, retrieved 11/05/09,
paranormalpeopleonline.com/the-chinese-dropa-stone-conspiracy

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historicmysteries.com

The Odon Poltergeist

May 26, 2013

Odon, Indiana, is a peaceful smallish town and not
one that you would suspect of having a history of
paranormal mysteries. Yet in April of 1941, an
Odon farmhouse would be the setting of one of
the strangest supernatural puzzles of modern
times.

ODON. FORMERLY CLARKSBURG

PUtted In 1616 by John
town named Clarktburg reportedly
After CeCrot Rojcri CUrX:

post office n*i«. -vat
CUrXl Prairie. IBSB'IMI,

Rot h names changed Oft™; tMK
Odon Incorporated. IM 5 -
By tradition. nam« Odon Joined

by comblnlnp rsmes ot t-o
prominent cltliew*

Did a supernatural event occur in a farmhouse in
Odon?

On an April morning, William Hackler finished
breakfast and left the house to begin his many
chores for the day.

As he was walking across the yard, he noticed
smoke pouring out of one of the upper-story windows. Alarmed, he ran back into the house
and raced up the stairs. Once inside the room, he saw that a medium-sized fire was
consuming the wall underneath the window. The fire seemed to be coming from inside the
wall itself. This would make one suspect faulty wiring, but the Hackler homestead was not
wired for electricity. And there was no fire burning in the house’s stove. There was no
apparent cause for the fire.

The volunteer fire department was sent for and put out the mysterious fire soon after their
arrival and then left.

They were soon called back to the Hackler home, however, when a second fire was found
burning within a mattress in another bedroom.

If the firemen thought they would be leaving the Hackler house any time soon, they were to
be disappointed. Throughout the day fires burst out and consumed objects and parts of the
house’s structure. In one case a book burned from the inside out until it was a pile of ashes.

All in all, 28 mysterious fires were extinguished by the firemen during that day.

The following day the phenomenon stopped. For whatever reason, the mysterious fires had
occurred on that single day and never returned.

Officials were baffled and put forward weak “solutions" such as rogue magnetic fields, gasses
seeping from an unused well, and pranks by Hackler’s children.

Thoroughly spooked, Hackler demolished the house and built a new one.

As far as history records, he and his family were never bothered by phantom fires again.

References:

“The Odon Fires,” GhostStudy.com website, pulled May 22, 2013
“Odon Fire Poltergeist,” Listverse website, pulled May 22, 2013

The Poltergeist Activity of Angelique Cottin - Historic
Mysteries

November 19, 201 1 historicmysteries.com

Angelique Cottin was the alleged generator of poltergeist activity in
France over a few months in 1846. Angelique came from a poor
Catholic family who saw her supposed power of manipulating
objects as a way to make money. Whether that was the plan all
along or the Cottins had simply cashed in on their misfortune, no
one knows for sure. Either way, it did not help the credibility of their
story. Nonetheless, Angelique’s story is prominent among stories
of alleged poltergeist activity and has yet to be debunked or
proven, so it remains a mystery.

Angelique was living near La Perriere, France when the alleged
phenomenon started on January 15, 1846. The story goes that she
was working silk with a few friends when either the weaving frame
or the table on which they worked started shaking. They told
adults, but were not believed, so tried to go back to work.
Apparently, it kept happening, but only when Angelique was near
the frame or the table, depending on the source. Note: Small variations in the sources
regarding Angelique Cottin may be the result of French to English translations. However,
there are large discrepancies of note as well.

Angelique Cottin’s parents found out about the occurrence and apparently believed her. They
took her to the parish priest for exorcism. Lucky for Angelique, the priest sent her to a doctor
instead, obviously believing that the girl was not possessed. Whether he believed her a fraud
or someone with a strange illness is unclear. The fact that he sent her away is interesting,
given the nature of her alleged symptoms. If the priest witnessed such things and believed
them to be genuine, it seems he might believe a young girl to be possessed. Then again, he
may have had his own reason for ruling out possession that did not include fraud on the part
of the Cottins. This is unclear in the surviving paperwork regarding the case.

The doctor allegedly saw objects move quickly away from Angelique Cottin after so much as
brushing against her skirt or hand. People near her supposedly felt electric shocks. Chairs
and couches that Angelique sat in were flung against the wall or shook violently. The doctor's
reports supposedly state that men were made to hold down furniture that was affected by
Angelique. They were unable to hold it still when her poltergeist was active. There were
breaks in the activity and the doctor said she was most active in the late evenings.

Eventually, the case of Angelique Cottin was referred to academics, one of which was a
physicist. They went over the reports given by the doctor, by the girl and presumably by her
parents. They made their own report based on these and their own tests. According to some
sources, the committee of academics concluded that the phenomenon was genuine after
observing it all for themselves and published those findings in the Journal des debats in
February of 1846. In truth, the committee observed none of the phenomena described by the

lllS’IiltKI -v l>l- I. II IKl MClMlK

French Periodical Portraying
Therese Selies — Another
Alleged 14 -year-old female
Poltergeist Victim

doctor and the Cottins save one. They observed the chairs she sat in shaking, though they
were never able to ascertain whether the shaking was of her doing. They were going to
arrange further tests, but the poltergeist of Angelique Cottin suddenly ceased activity on April
10, 1846. At least that is what the committee was told.

Despite never returning for follow up experiments with the committee, Angelique continued to
display her malady for money. How she was able to replicate it after it supposedly stopped is
unknown. Whether she just continued to fake it, as she had been all along, is also unknown.
However, the biggest unknown here is how she would have faked it. It seems that without
either the help or incompetence of her doctor, she would not have been able to pull such an
elaborate fast one. Maybe she fooled the doctor. Maybe her parents promised him a cut of
the profits. Maybe she was not faking it at all.

It is important to mention that sources regarding Angelique Cottin vary wildly. Some say she
could manipulate magnets, though the only claim made at the time was that she could find
the north pole on magnets by touch. There are also some that say she made compass
needles spin, though that was never claimed possible by her observers. Luckily,
contemporary sources are available to peruse.

Sources

Haughton, Brian, Angelique Cottin — Electric Girl, retrieved 1 1/1 9/1 1 ,
mysteriouspeople.com/poltergeist_girl.htm

Figuer, Louis. The Electric Girl, Popular Science Monthly March 1875, Volume 6

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The Possession of Maria Talarico

May 11, 2013

historicmysteries.com

Ponte Morandi. The infamous bridge of Catanzaro.

This may be the only case where an alleged
spiritual possession led to a formal legal judgment
of murder.

On February 13, 1936, the body of local resident
Giuseppe “Pepe” Veraldi was found under the
Morandi bridge in the city of Catanzaro, Italy. The
body was in bad shape and had obviously fallen
from the bridge above. The cause of death was
determined to be severe damage to the head.

Due to the injuries and the lack of any evidence of foul play, the police decided it was a
suicide and stopped any further investigation. Pepe’s family protested that there was no
reason for him to have killed himself, but the police did not re-open the case.

The death was the talk of the town for several months, but it eventually faded from public
gossip.

It wasn’t until three years later that Pepe’s death would return to the forefront of attention.

One morning in January of 1 939, Maria T alarico, a teenaged girl of the city, was walking
across the same bridge, as she had done many times before. About halfway across she
suddenly stopped, walked over to the side from which Pepe had allegedly jumped, and
mysteriously fainted. Several people were nearby and promptly arranged for Maria to be
carted home.

Once in her own home, she awakened and initially seemed to be herself until she spoke.
Instead of her usual voice, she spoke in a rasping male voice and told those present that she
was Pepe Veraldi, and demanded to speak to his mother. After the shock had worn off
somewhat, one of the neighbors ran off to fetch Mrs. Veraldi. During the wait, “Pepe” asked
for wine and cigarettes and playing cards — proposing that he and some of the men have a
game until his mother arrived. Needless to say, this was not in any way similar to Maria’s
normal behavior.

Eventually Pepe’s mother showed up and he quickly told her (via Maria) that he had been
murdered but did not name the culprit(s). As this information began to sink in with those
gathered at the Talarico home, Maria quickly got up and ran outside to the exact place under
the bridge where Pepe’s corpse had fallen. Those from Maria’s household followed her, and
when Pepe’s mother arrived she ordered her son’s spirit to leave Maria. Apparently it did, as
Maria instantly “woke up” but remembered nothing of the past since she had initially fainted
on the bridge.

Most likely Pepe’s mother went to the police with this information, but without names, there

was nothing they could do. And they might have found the whole story too difficult to believe.

The story would have ended there had it not been for a letter Pepe’s mother received nine
years after Maria’s apparent possession. The letter was from one of Pepe’s former friends
who was living in Argentina. He confessed to killing Pepe in an argument over a woman.
Three other men helped him commit the crime, he said, and he named them — something
Pepe’s ghost had not done.

Pepe’s mother now had something concrete to prove that her son had not killed himself. She
took the letter to the police. One of the accomplices had died, but the other two were
investigated, arrested, tried, convicted, and jailed.

The convictions seemed to have brought the episode to a close. It is presumed that Pepe
was then able to rest in peace, as he never made any further "appearances” — and Maria is
not known to have had any further encounters with supernatural entities.

Sources:

“The Curious Case of Maria Talarico" by Dr. L. Rumble, M.S.C., pulled 5/9/13
“Maria Talarico Possessed by the Dead” by Nene Adams, Listverse, pulled 5/9/13

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The quagga now standing on three legs is next
in line for Bone Idol restoration

Skeleton of zebra’s extinct cousin is treasured exhibit of Grant Museum of Zoology at
University 7 College London

Jack Ashby with the Quagga skeleton at the Grant Museum of Zoology at
University College London Photograph: Felix Clay for the Guardian

Maev Kennedy

Tuesday 30 December 2014 12.00 EST

http://www.theauardian.com/science/2014/dec/30/quaaaa-skeleton-restoration-

bone-idol-qrant-museum-london

The creature standing rather unsteadily in a zoology 7 museum in London is
among the rarest in the world, and frankly she’s not looking her best.

The quagga in the Grant Museum, part of University College London, is one of
only seven remaining quagga skeletons anywhere, a cousin of the zebra which
became extinct in 1883. The museum itself is a rare survivor, the last of what
were once many university zoology 7 museums in the capital.

Quaggas looked like zebras which had forgotten to put on their pyjama trousers,

half stripey, half plain brown. Once plentiful on the South African plains,
quaggas were hunted both for their unusual skins and by stock keepers to reduce
competition for food. London Zoo once had one, but it was only realised that the
animal was extinct when the quagga in Amsterdam died on 12 August 1883. The
zoo sent out hunters to bring back a new one and found there were none.

The bones came into the Grant collection in the late 19th century, and the
skeleton was mounted - the only mounted specimen in the UK - by museum
technicians in 1911, but not very well. The bones were bolted onto a hand-forged
iron frame, in some places by driving screws straight through fragile bones.
Something unpleasantly treacle-like has oozed out around the breast bones.

Even the most eagle-eyed visitors rarely spot that all the bones of the neck were
actually mounted upside down, but many do notice that she only has three legs:
the museum in the Rockefeller Building in University Street is still a teaching
collection, and at some point the missing leg was loaned and never returned.

Hi i'.» . limn V

Shigraving of a photograph of a quagga mare in London zoo, circa 1870. Credit:
Wint Collector/ Getty Images/Hulton Archive Photograph: Print Collector/Getty
Images /Hult on Archive

“The files are full of copies ofletters from my predecessors saying: ‘Have you by
any chance got our quagga leg and if so can we have it back?’” museum manager
Jack Ashby said.

It took a very long time for the museum to realise what a treasure it had; there
are many oddities in a collection which only three years ago discovered it
had half a dodo in a drawer, filed as a crocodile.

In 1911 the quagga was a cheap and quick job: she was mounted with five other
large skeletons for a total cost of £14.

“To be fair to them, they had no idea they were dealing with such a rarity,” Ashby
said. “She came into the collection as a zebra. It’s one of the Grant’s more
embarrassing stories, actually. We used to have two zebras, now we have none.”
It was only in 1972 that experts took a really close look at the zebras. One turned
out to be a donkey, now leaning rather forlornly against the balcony railings and
in need of restoration work himself, and the other was revealed as the quagga.
The museum’s scientists take a dim view of a controversial selective breeding
project in South Africa to recreate an animal which looks like a quagga, but have
launched the Bone Idol fundraising appeal to restore their own specimen, along
with 38 other historic skeletons in the collection, including the spectacular skull
and antlers of another extinct animal, the giant Irish deer, which a group of
academics bought straight off a pub wall in Ireland.

The largest skeleton in the museum, a (hornless) greater Indian one-horned
rhino that was part of the 1911 batch, has already been removed from display for
conservation work and the quagga is next on the list. Her bones will be carefully
dismantled, cleaned - the old technique of rotting off the meat by steeping
skeletons in a giant tank in the university attics is no longer favoured, much to
the relief of staff - and remounted on an anatomically correct support that
should preserve her forever. Meanwhile, the search for her fourth leg goes on.

• The Grant Museum of Zoology, UCL, London, is open free to the public,
Monday-Saturday i-5pm

The shocking and strange case of Dr. Carl Tanzler

http://coolinterestingstulT.com/the-shocking-and-strange-case-of-dr-carl-tanzler

The happy couple!

We love a good true crime story here at cool interesting stuff, and the freaky case of Dr. Carl Tanzler is
one of the best.

In the 1920’s, Carl Tanzler (later known as Carl von Cosel) emigrated from Germany to the the Florida
Keys, in the United States, leaving behind a wife and two young daughters.

Tanzer had worked as an x-ray technician and inventor in Germany, barely making enough to get by,
but upon arrival in the US, he claimed to be a former submarine skipper and owner of nine college
degrees.

In 1934, he found employment at a Key West hospital in the tuberculosis ward. Shortly after, he
brought his family to join him in Florida, but he soon separated from his wife after she discovered his
wild claims of holding 9 degrees.

Great, 9 Degrees, when can you start?

The strange Romance. . .

Elena Hoyos, a 22 year old Elispanic, (who was both beautiful and a former Cuban entertainer) was
admitted to the hospital. Von Cosel (as he was now called) working as a ward technician, was soon
captivated, despite her rebuffs of his advances.

Cosel became determined to help Elena, even cure her. Elena’s desperate family, knowing the severity
of her illness, gave Von Cosel permission to try unusual methods.

The hospital staff became dubious, but with his nine ‘degrees’ and ocassional eccentric brilliance, they
let him continue with his strange ideas on Elena, knowing they could do nothing themselves to save
her.

Despite Von Cosel’s strange and mysterious efforts, Elena Hoyos died leaving him heartbroken.

I will love you forever!

Even stranger events

Von Cosel got permission from her family to build Elena a mausoleum. There, Von Cosel used
formaldehyde and other chemicals and spices to preserve the body, secretly visiting it nightly.

He had a key made that no one but her sister knew about.

The Hovos’s trusted Von Cosel and since he seemed to love her in life (even though it was an
unrequited love), they were understanding of his fondness for visiting her grave.

They did not know he was inside attempting to preserve Elena.

Von Cosel paid for and built an above-ground burial vault which included a telephone so that he could
communicate with her and a strange airship whose function he refused to state.

During these nightly visits, he would talk to Elena’s corpse and said later that one night he saw her
ghost in the mausoleum. He claimed she appeared to him from that time after every night and they
would have long conversations and she expressed her love for him.

These nocturmal visitations continuted for two years until he lost his job at the hospital and moved to a
remote shack.

In loving memory

Was lie crazy?

But he wasn’t alone in his shack, for he had stolen Elena’s body from the mausoleum!

There he placed her body on a large bed, enough to sleep two, curtained with a cloth veil. He continued
his work on her decaying body as the chemicals could only delay her body from mouldering for so
long. He rubbed her entire body with strange oils and chemicals and then later had to reconstruct parts
of her face with morticians wax to reform her features. He later admitted to spending long pleasant
nights talking to her and professing his love.

Elenas sister began to suspect something was amiss. She notified the authorities and they searched her
mausoleum only to find it empty.

Elena’s sister instantly knew who had taken her sister’s body and found Von Cosel’s shack and
confronted him. He kindly invited her inside, and to her horror, she saw what appeared be a wax
dummy in the likeness of Elena laying on the bed. He told her that he and Elena were happy and in love
and invited her to come back again and visit.

The sister was livid and horrified and went to the police.

They came and took what they assumed to be a dummy to the local morgue to be autopsied. The
“dummy” was actually the long decayed corpse of Elena Hoyos; her bones held together with piano
wire, her skin had been treated with wax, her eye sockets filled with glass replacements, and she’d been

perfumed to mask the odor of decomposition.

True Love

This was terrible enough, but what the investigators found next was truly repulsive.

Von cose! had reconstructed many parts of her body, her eyes, nose, and most disturbingly, her vagina
to which he added a tube that permitted sexual intercourse. He had been having sexual intercourse with
the corpse of Elena Hoyos for as many as eight years!

Looking good baby

Scientist Who Stole
Bo<ly Freed From Jail

KEY WEST, FI*., Oct. 12 (CPI.
—Friends today posted $1,000 hind
and oblained release from Jail of
Carl Tanzlnr von Cose!, aged
scientist who stole the body of n
young woman he loved from her
burial vault and Kept the body in
his home for seven years.

Van Cosel will be tried !n coun-
ty criminal court In November on
charges of "maliciously disturbing"
the grave of Mrs, Elena Mesa, who
died in IfBt,

The shocking case of Azaria Chamberlain

http://coolinterestingstuff.com/the-shocking-case-of-azaria-chamberlain

The sad case of missing baby Azaria was once one of the most shocking crime mysteries of
all time.

A dingo took my baby!

On 13 August 1980 the Chamberlain family left home in their yellow, hatchback, Torana
motorcar for a holiday in Central Australia.

Arriving at Ayers Rock (Uluru), Northern Territory, on Saturday 16 August, Lindy and Michael
Chamberlain pitched a tent next to their car at a camp-site.

The Chamberlains camp site

On Sunday 1 7 August at about 8 p.m. Azaria was heard to cry out. Her mother went to the
tent, found the baby missing and reported seeing a dingo.

Massive search was undertaken

Despite extensive searches by Aboriginal trackers and others, on that dark night and later, the
baby was never found.

Items of her bloodstained clothing were located on 24 August among boulders near the base
of the Rock.

rha (wHN ion * aiofle wo* &»t>* Aratla [cmn+m) near Ayeis Rock oPwra trlsM] oww i m#oi lrwo«tk®i»o

Lost baby riddle of Ayers Rock grips Australia

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The inquest and trial

Following an inquest at Alice Springs, on 20 February 1981 the coroner Denis Barritt
concluded that Azaria had met her death when attacked by a wild dingo as she slept in her
family's tent, and that an unknown person or persons had helped to dispose of the body.

The case was far from closed. In November 1981 the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
quashed the findings of the inquest.

In Darwin a second inquest took place, and it heard new forensic evidence, particularly about
bloodstains, that led the coroner Gerard Galvin on 2 February 1 982 to commit the parents for
trial. Lindy was charged with Azaria’s murder and Michael with having assisted his wife after
the crime.

It was reported Lindy Chamberlain showed little emotion during the proceedings.

Found guilty by the jury on 29 October, Lindy was sentenced to imprisonment for life and was
confined in Darwin Prison; Michael’s eighteen-month sentence was suspended.

Appeals to the Federal and High courts of Australia failed.

A clue to wait happened!

In early 1986, English tourist David Brett fell to his death from Uluru during an evening climb.
Because of the vast size of the rock and the scrubby nature of the surrounding terrain, it was
eight days before Brett’s remains were discovered, lying below the bluff where he had lost his
footing and in an area full of dingo lairs.

As police searched the area, looking for missing bones that might have been carried off by
dingoes, they discovered a small item of clothing. It was quickly identified as the crucial
missing piece of evidence from the Chamberlain case, Azaria’s missing matinee jacket

On 7 February 1986, after the discovery of the matinee-jacket, Lindy’s sentence was remitted
and she was released from prison pending a further court ruling.

On 2 June 1 987 the court ruled there were ‘serious doubts and questions as to the
Chamberlains’ guilt’, and considered new evidence to be such that a trial judge would have
been obliged to direct a jury to acquit them.

On 15 September 1988 both convictions were quashed. In May 1992 the Northern Territory
government announced that an ex gratia payment of $1 .3 million would be made as
compensation to the parents.

Meet the world's smallest COW

express.co.uk

MEET Manikyam, the world's shortest cow who is barely the size of a family pet.

By Peter Henn

PUBLISHED: 12:30, Tue, Feb 24, 2015

The animal measures just
61.5cm from her hooves to her
withers but is still treated with
reverence on the farm where she
lives.

The tiny mammal resides with
her fully-sized pals at farmer and
environmentalist Balakrishnan
Nambukudy's farm in the town of
Atholi in the southern Indian
state of Kerala.

Mr Nambukudy got the cow
when she was a newborn, but despite feeding and raising her like a normal cow, she didn't
reach full size.

He said: "She looked different from the others. I realised that she wasn't gaining height like
other cows of the same breed.

"She is a special creature. Manikyam is like a family member now. She is very important and
responds when you call her name."

Despite her short stature, Manikyam does not suffer from any
physical deformities.

Manikyam was declared the world's shortest cow last year -
smashing the previous record by more than three inches - and a
five-member Guinness World Record team visited the village to
verify the record.

And the cow, who is part of the Vechur breed, is allowed into the
family's home ad treated like a pet.

It is a divine blessing to see such a cute cow.

Dayanand Kumar

Mr Nambukudy said: "This cow is like a family member. With us at all times. It is a very
important and very intelligent cow. She comes when you call."

Dayanand Kumar, a local
villager, added: "We treat cows
as a form of God. It is a divine
blessing to see such a cute cow."

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The Sodder Children Mystery

February 8, 2015 historicmysteries.com

There were no bones among the ashes.

It was a normal Christmas Eve in 1 945 for the Sodder family of
Fayetteville, West Virginia. Except for the eldest son being away in
the Army, all nine of his siblings were enjoying the holidays at home
with their parents, George and Jennie.

When it was time for the children to go to bed, five of the children —
Maurice (14), Martha (12), Louis (10), Jennie (8), and Betty (6) —
asked for special permission to stay up later. Jennie told them they
could stay up a little while longer, but they had to remember to turn
out the lights, close the curtains, and lock the front door. George and
Jennie and four of their other children then went to bed.

Later, in the early hours of the 25th, the phone rang. Jennie left the
first floor bedroom she shared with George and the baby and went
into the hall to answer it. A woman was on the other end of the line and it sounded like there
were several people talking in the background. The woman asked Jennie for someone Jennie
didn’t know. Jennie told the woman that she had the wrong number. The woman laughed
strangely and quickly hung up. Jennie may have puzzled momentarily about this strange call
in the middle of the night, but her focus quickly shifted to the fact that the house was quiet but
that all of the lights were still on, the drapes were open, and the front door was unlocked.
Jennie just presumed that the five children who had stayed up late had forgotten. She closed
up the house and returned to the bedroom.

Back in bed, Jennie was drifting back into sleep when she heard what sounded like an object
landing on the roof and then rolling down along the side of the house.

And then she smelled smoke. It was approximately 1:30am.

She shook George awake and ran to the door of the bedroom. The hallway was filled with
smoke and flames covered the stairway leading up to the children’s bedrooms. George and
Jennie shouted up the stairs for everyone to get out of the house quickly.

Once out front, a headcount showed that the five children who had stayed up late were not
outside with the rest of the family.

The flames grew quickly and blocked George from going back into the house. Thinking the
only way to get the five children out would be to get them out through a top floor window, he
raced around to the side of the house where a ladder always stood.

The ladder was gone.

Panicking, George then thought that if he could move one of his vehicles next to the side of

WANTED

$5000.00 REWARD

MISSING PERSONS

FIVE CHILDREN • Brothers jmJ Sisters

**• "It*-* *FPED -JUKHEi* 1 f/iWA ' "•**»*»**»*

MR. STmrL GEORGE SODDER

Reward poster requesting
information on the Sodder
children.

the house he could stand on the top and help the five children out the window. He ran to first
one truck and then to the other only to find that they wouldn’t start.

All George and Jennie and the four children who had managed to flee the house could do
was to watch the fire ravage the house. The fire was brutal and reduced the house to ashes
in less than an hour. Nothing was left but charred timbers and rubble and the basement.

For reasons not totally clear, it wasn’t until 8am — hours after the fire
had burnt itself out — that the fire trucks appeared.

Local police followed the firemen to the scene and did a cursory
investigation. The coroner was consulted and it was determined that
the five children had undoubtedly perished in the fire and that the fire
had been caused by faulty wiring.

But George and Jennie were not satisfied with that explanation. They
wanted an in-depth investigation to thoroughly explain how, among
other things, faulty wiring could have caused the fire when several
lights were working perfectly during the actual fire. They suspected
that there was something more to be discovered and they demanded
answers.

And answers started trickling in which supported George and
Jennie’s suspicions.

First and foremost, there were no human remains found anywhere in the rubble. Sifting
through all of the ashes produced no skeletons. Jennie would later find out from a local
crematorium that it took at least two hours at a very high temperature for a skeleton to
disintegrate. But the fire at the Sodder home burned for less than an hour. There should have
been five skeletons amongst the ashes.

It just didn’t make sense. George and Jennie began collecting bits of strange evidence that
pointed away from the explanation the authorities had given them.

They came across a bus driver who stated that he had seen what he described as “fireballs”
being thrown onto the roof of the house. Could this have been the noise Jennie heard?

A woman, somewhat familiar with the Sodder family, stated to have clearly seen the five
children go by in a strange car while the fire was blazing.

At a diner fifty miles west of Fayetteville, a waitress would later say that she had served
breakfast to the five children on Christmas morning but she couldn’t recall how many adults
were with them.

As word spread and photographs of the children were shown in the vicinity, a woman said
that she saw four of the children (where was the fifth?) in the company of four adults at a
hotel in South Carolina.

The site of the fire , with the
Sodder children memorial.
Photo credit: Faith on
findagrave.com

These glimpses gave George and Jennie hope and caused them to pursue their own
investigations and forensic experiments. Jennie burned chicken bones in an oven to see if
they could be completely destroyed by the fire in 45 minutes. The bones remained intact.
George heard of another house that had burned to the ground that clearly featured complete
skeletons amongst the debris.

Armed with these facts, George and Jennie went back to the police and demanded to have
the fire further investigated. But the police refused, claiming that the coroner’s inquiry
determined that no crime had been committed.

So George and Jennie continued alone in trying to find answers.

George would repeatedly dig through the ruins looking for some kind of clue. Several years
after the fire, there finally appeared what seemed to be the first trace of evidence: a few
bones and what seemed to be some kind of inner organ. Tests showed that the “organ" was a
cow’s liver and that the bones came from a person older than any of the five missing children
— and the bones showed no sign of damage by or exposure to fire.

George and Jennie would not quit. They erected a billboard near the site of their former home
which featured photos of the five children and announced a $10,000 reward for the safe
return of their children, whom they now thoroughly believed to be alive and who had been
taken from the house while the fire was deliberately set to cover the tracks of some kind of
abduction.

Time passed and George and Jennie and their surviving children continued their search.

Then, in 1 968, twenty-three years after the fire, Jennie got an envelope in the mail. It had
been mailed from a city in Kentucky. There was no return address. Inside was a photograph
of a young man. On the back was written:

Louis Sodder
I love brother Frankie
HU Boys

A90132 (or possibly A90135)

Authorities thought it was some kind of cruel hoax, but George and Jennie thought the
photograph looked exactly how Louis would have looked as an adult. There were multiple
similarities. Once again hopeful, they hired a private investigator to go to the city in Kentucky
to track down the photo’s sender and/or the young man himself.

The investigator left West Virginia and was never heard from again.

The 1968 photo was the last possible evidence that ever came to light. George would die in
1969 and Jennie would die twenty years later. They never believed that their five beloved
children died in that fire early one Christmas morning.

It’s hard to begin sorting out the many mysteries contained in this story. Some questions are:

• Who was the woman on the phone? Was she in some way connected to the fire?

• Who moved the ladder?

• Who had thrown the “fireballs” at the Sodder’s home that night?

• Whose bones were found at the site years after the fire?

• Who sent the photo in 1968 and who is the young man in that photo?

• Where did the private investigator disappear to?

• Who put the cow’s liver at the site and why?

• And possibly the biggest question: if, as George and Jennie suspected, the five
children had not been killed in the fire but had been abducted... why and by whom?

The whole story is still questioned by amateur sleuths trying to get to the bottom of this
puzzling story. There are numerous sites on the Internet devoted to this mysterious tale.
Although, as time goes by, the chances of finding a definite conclusion grows remoter with
each passing year.

Sources:

“What Was the Fate of the Five Sodder Children?” Historic Horrors website, pulled 2-7-15.
“The Children Who Went Up In Smoke” Smithsonian Magazine website, pulled 2-7-15.
“The Missing Sodder Children” The Paranormal Guide, pulled 2-7-15.

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The Squirrel Grand Nutional | @GrrlScientist

Saturday 3 January 2015

theguardian.com

I’ve recently been sharing cute hamster and squirrel videos for “Caturday” (the weekly animal
appreciation day on the intertoobz), so imagine my delight when I noticed that Steve “the
Squirrel Man of Hitchin’” Barley uploaded a new squirrel video onto his YouTube channel a
couple days ago — just in time for the first caturday of the New Year! Further, this newest
squirrel obstacle course video uses a theme that we all can appreciate: the Grand National
Steeplechase at Aintree racecourse.

Except, squirrels are plump nut-eating rodents instead of leggy thoroughbred racehorses, so
this grand race has been suitably modified and renamed as the Squirrel Grand Nutional.

This fun video provides overstuffed armchair sitters (no railbirds in this crowd!) with a hawk’s-
eye view of several of these small hairy beasts as they encounter a number of famous
obstacles inspired by those in the Grand National. These obstacles are attached a rope that
stretches across Mr Barley’s back garden (now known as Faintree racecourse) and were
created from imaginative combinations of scrap wood, green pan scourer-ers and plastic
spoons.

Starting in this year’s six-furlong Grand Nutional are three celebrated racing squirrels: the top
contender from last year, Lord Greystroke (who, it turns out, was a last-minute scratch), Ninja
Nutcase (wearing black and red colours), and Lady Bobtail (wearing pink and black colours).

In this video, these racing squirrels face five famous and imposing fences, including The
Chair, Canal T urn, the Water Jump and of course, one of the most challenging fences in the
entire race, Creecher’s Brook.

Which racing squirrel is your betting choice? Watch this year’s race to see who won:

You can follow Steve Barley on his YouTube channel and on twitter @SquirrelManOfH.

GrrIScientist is very active on twitter @GrrlScientist and sometimes lurks on social media:
facebook, G+, Linkedln, and Pinterest.

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THE STONE PEOPLE - LIVING STATUES

http://www.thehumanmarvels.conn/the-stQne-people-livina-statues/

In the 1 7th century the French physician Patin described the case of a local woman who had
‘turned to wood’. This ‘wood’ was actually bone and the woman possessed an incredibly rare
condition that caused her muscles to be slowly turned to bone.

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva or FOP, as the condition is know by today, affects 1 of
2 million people with varied severity. The condition is a genetic mutation in which the bodies of
those affected cannot switch off the mechanism that grows the skeleton in the womb. Also,
any small injury to connective tissue - muscles, ligaments, and tendons - results in the
formation of hard bone around the damaged site. As it is a spontaneous genetic mutation, a
FOB child can be born of normal parents - however persons with the condition have a 50%
chance of passing the traits on to their offspring. As the hereotopic (extra) bone growth only
becomes painfully obvious after a few years - 1 0 being the average - the only sign of the
condition observable in an infant is malformed big toes. It is not until the second skeleton
begins to form and mobility becomes severely restricted that the condition becomes evident.

Persons with FOP have been involved in sideshow and curio displays for centuries. Those
with the condition were commonly called ‘ossified men’ or ‘stone men’, The Ossified Man’

became a popular attraction. An ossified woman named Miss Emma Shaler once even shared
billing with Harry Houdini in 1894. Strangely enough the ossified individual became quite a
common attraction - likely due to the fact that it was a Marvel easily faked.

For those with the condition, life was far from easy. Movement was severely hampered and, in
many cases, movement involved little more than lips and inner workings. The money these
ossified men and women earned while on display paid for much needed medical attention.
Many were often attended to during display by hired nurses. Few were able to eat anything,
and their jaws became fused, and many had to sustain themselves on liquid diets. Thus many
individual with the condition appeared incredibly gaunt and sickly. Most died quite young of
pneumonia or other ailments that fed upon the sickly.

Harry Raymond Eastlack (pictured above) was born in the early 1930’s and was one of the
last modern ossified men presented as a curiosity. He died of pneumonia in 1973, and his
case is particularly notable because shortly before his death, he made it known that he
wanted to donate his body to science. The gesture was in the hopes that in death he would
be able to help find a cure for this rare and somewhat cruel disease. As per his wishes, his
preserved skeleton now resides in The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. Mr. Eastlack remains
the best documented Stone Man in history.

Update 09/06/2006

Another FOP skeleton, belonging to a veteran Peter Cluckey, lives at the National Museum of
Health and Medicine on the Walter Reed campus in Washington.

From public affairs officer Steven Solomon and my friends at the Kircher Society:

Peter Cluckey was born in 1 882, enlisted in the Army at age 1 7 just after the Spanish-
American War, retired from the service after 3 years, and rejoined in 1904. Two months after
his second enlistment he experienced joint pain and stiffness after a horseback mounted drill
held in cold rain. After several medical examinations he was diagnosed with “rheumatism
chronic, articular, affecting both hips, knees, and ankle joints, and the right elbow.” Over the
next 20 years his condition worsened to the point where every joint in his body became fused
Cluckey was moved into a sitting position so that he could be placed in a chair or on his side
in bed to sleep. His front teeth were removed so that he could be fed soft foods. In his will,
Cluckey donated his body to the museum and his skeleton has been on display seated in a
wooden chair in the museum since his death in 1925.

We invite you to visit this fascinating specimen in person. Admission and parking are free.

Steven Solomon
Public Affairs Officer

National Museum of Health and Medicine
202 - 782-2200

www.nmhm.washingtondc. museum

historicmysteries.com

The Story of David Lang - Historic Mysteries

April 12, 2011

It started out as an ordinary day.

On September 23, 1880, on a farm near Gallatin, Tennessee, David Lang was walking across
the fields of his farm. The area where he was walking was large and flat. There were no trees
or stones or fences in the area. Lang’s wife and children were watching him from the house.
Two men in a buggy were riding by and also watched Lang as he made his way across the
field. Suddenly, in the view of everyone, Lang vanished in mid-step. One moment he was
walking and the next moment he was gone.

The first conclusion by those who had been watching him was that he had fallen down a hole
in the ground. But searching the area showed no hole or other explanation for his
disappearance. Once it seemed that Lang had just vanished without explanation, his wife
became hysterical and had to be taken back to the house. Neighbors joined the search but
there was no sign of Lang. Eventually the searches were called off and Lang was left as lost.

One year later, Lang’s daughter stood in the spot where Lang had vanished and called out to
her father several times. Not getting a response, she was turning to go back to the house
when she heard a faint cry for help in her father’s voice. She ran and got her mother who
went to the spot and also heard her husband’s voice. They returned the following day and
once again heard Lang calling for help, although the cry was fainter. After several days the
voice was too faint to hear and it was never heard again.

One source says that in the spot where David Lang vanished the grass grew unnaturally well,
although no insects would go near it and livestock refused to graze there. Other sources
report the exact opposite — grass never grew there but it would grow lush all around the
area.

The story may have informally circulated in the first half of the 20th century, but it was brought
to the forefront in an article in the July, 1953, issue of Fate magazine. The story allegedly
contained an interview with Lang’s daughter.

Many later researchers believe the entire story to be a fiction. In census (and other) records
there is no listing for a Lang family living in the area in 1880. The story may have been
sparked by some unexplainable event or may have, as many researchers claim, been lifted
from a short story by American author Ambrose Bierce who, coincidentally, disappeared
without a trace in 1913.

Sources:

Castle of Spirits, pulled 4/1 1/1 1

Wallechinsky, David & Irving Wallace, “The People’s Almanac”

The Anomalist, No. 7, Winter 1998/99

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The story of ‘Zana’, wild woman, has been solved through
DNA analysis (UPDATE)

doubtfulnews.com

There is a flurry of interest suddenly in the Zana story as The Daily Mail has printed a new
piece hinting that Sykes new book will claim that Zana, the mysterious wild woman captured
in Russia in the late 1800s, was perhaps a yeti. The piece is horribly written and looks like a
teaser:

Professor Bryan Sykes of the University of Oxford claims a towering woman
named Zana who lived in 19th Century Russia - and appeared to be half human,
half ape’ - could have been the fabled yeti.

I don't think it actually DOES say that and I would be very surprised if it did since she was
most certainly human. The rest of the article tells the story of Zana again (same as in 2013)
so this simply looks like a way to keep a buzz about Sykes new book.

There looks to be nothing new here but media hype.

Originally published 1-Nov 2013

Here is the news of what Dr. Bryan Sykes found after studying DNA samples of supposed
Bigfoot-like creatures in Russia.

Was Russian ‘Bigfoot’ actually an African slave?.

Bryan Sykes, Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Oxford, has
carried out DNA tests on saliva samples taken from descendants of Zana - a so-
called ‘wild woman’ captured in the late 19th century in southern Russia, who local
people believe was an ‘Almasty’.

Professor Sykes’ research (part of a worldwide analysis of alleged Bigfoot
samples), has yielded a remarkable result: that Zana’s ancestry was 100% Sub-
Saharan African and that she was most probably a slave brought to the region by
the ruling Ottomans.

To answer the riddle and establish what species she belonged to, Professor
Sykes has tested samples from six of Zana’s living descendants. He has also
recovered DNA from a tooth taken from the skull of one of her sons, Khwit. Such
work is highly specialized and Sykes was the first geneticist ever to extract DNA
from ancient bone.

But the big surprise in Sykes’ results was that Zana’s DNA is not Caucasian at all,
but African. Khwit’s tooth sample confirms her maternal African ancestry and the
saliva tests on the six living descendants show that they all contain African DNA in
the right proportions for Zana to have been genetically 100% sub-Saharan
African.

leading scientist - will not fall into this “trap".

■ This is a reply to Joerg:

Well, we’ll see what Sykes says. But unless there is
physical evidence of something unusual to back up
the claims of hairiness and other “primitive” physical
features, I don’t see any reason to put any stock in
these accounts. From the press release at least,
Sykes seems to be going the other way, taking the
accounts and wondering how the data might account
for it. If these were photographs, I might see that as
reasonable investigation.

But again, these are eyewitness accounts from the
Victorian era. Without something otherwise
inexplicable from the mtDNA, there is nothing that
needs explaining here. I would trust Sykes’ genetic
work. I would not trust anywhere near as much his
placing that in a historical context in terms of either
historical accounts of “primitiveness,” or in terms of
the larger intellectual climate of Victorian
anthropology and more general thoughts about
human diversity.

Without mtDNA to differentiate Zana, his statement is
highly careless. Maybe it means he’s got mtDNA. Or
maybe it means he’s being careless in a media-driven
project. Neither case is impossible.

■ To Spookyparadigm:

We just have to wait. Of course, I DO NOT rule out,
that Sykes has nothing more to offer than the modern
African “slav” DNA. Then he acts - for a Oxford prof-
extremely misleading, if he says it “will change our
understanding of human history”. By the way, his
literary agent describes the forthcoming book as
“what Sykes has to say will shock the world.”

I am not a geneticist, not any kind of scientist (despite
PhD), but I work in PR for some book publishers.

Now, can you imagine the phone conversation
between the publisher and the literary agent?

Agent: Sykes has examined the DNA of a wild woman
from the Caucasus. Some Russian scholars believed
this woman was a Yeti or a Neandertal man.
Publisher: Wow, so what did he find out? It is a

Yeti???

Agent: Well, not exactly..."

Publisher: A Neandertal woman?

Agent: Well, no. ..it is..

Publisher: So what????

Agent: Sensational result: She was sub-saharan!!
Publisher: She was what???

Agent: From Africa!!!

Publisher: You mean like Mrs. Barnes, our office
secretary?

Agent: Well, yes....

Publisher: Could you ask professor Sykes if he could
also write a book on UFOs, the porn industry or the
DNA of Lionel Messi???

You know what I mean. Such a book would be pure
suicide for any publisher. A NON EVENT. Have you
noticed how many mainstream media articles were
published on the Caucasus results? Even in the UK
just one the last time I looked - by the TV station
Channel 4 itself, the producer of the Bigfoot Files.

Now you can imagine how much much media
attention Sykes will get with results like that. Again:
no publisher will take such a risk. And Sykes will lose
lots of it credibility.

Again, everthing can happen in this crazy world. Even
a foolish publisher and a professor who misleads the
public. But from all what I learned about the book
trade; it would make no sense at all!

■ And another thought from someone who knows Georgia and its history
very well: tales of hairy and giant PEOPLE (not King Kongs, dear skeptics)
in the forests and mountains can be traced back to the roots of Georgian
history (or rather folk literature). This makes the Ottoman slave theory even
less likely. There were, as it seems, Africans in the region, but certainly
already since prehistoric times. In the words of Sykes: a yet “unknown tribe”.

■ Citations please.

Obviously, this subject needs more attention. It’s tremendously
interesting. I will watch the show soon. But, this does nothing for the
proponents of an unknown primate. The result fits much better into
evolutionary framework and what we already know.

■ Do you mean citation of old Caucasian/Georgian folk
literature? Beliefs in “hairy wildmen” exist throughouth the

Caucasus. The wildman is called Germakoci in Lazistan, Ocokoci
in Mingrelia. Those legends and myths go back to at least
medieval times. See an overview on wildmen legends throughout
Georgia in “Kartuli xalxuri sitqviereba”, volume II, Tiflis 1992.
Therefore: the legend did not start with Zana at the end of the
19th century. By the way: the wildmen are all described in the
same way: very tall or “gigantic”, covered in fur, very strong, face
without hair, facial features just like “normal people”. No apeman,
no Gigantopithecus, but people see them as very different from
normal Caucasus people. In remote parts people are still very
afraid of them even today. I have encountered some old village
folks who did not dare to go into the forest above their village,
because the wildmen visits those forests from time to time.

■ Local folklore is not reliable evidence.

■ You asked me for citations on Caucasian folklore, I
did not say it is scientifically reliable!

■ Surely, “African woman kept in Zoo, called Bigfoot” is
kind of a big deal. It wouldn’t be that hard to come up with a
good advertising hook.

■ As far as “Wild Hairy Men” living in the mountains...

You just need to catch one of those modern reality shows
about Alaska to see that in action. I’m seeing frequent
episodes depicting guys sporting huge shaggy beards,
covered in animal furs (which it perfectly reasonable if you
live in a very cold climate), and avoiding most other contact
with civilization. I’d say that fits the bill quite nicely for “wild
hairy men". If it can happen now, no reason it couldn’t be
the same 100 years ago.... Then add in a bit of trying to
make a dull encounter more exciting to make a better
story... “there I was face to face with this monstrous
beast”....

■ I’d imagine that solitude and movement barely seen
might reasonably convince someone in Alaska they
had seen someone when they didn't.

Sort of an optical Aleutian..

■ What precisely would make Africans, even if we’re talking a
population of archaic H. s. I presume you’re arguing since H.
heidelbergensis or at least H. erectus, “hairy and giant?” If anything,
hairy would go the other way, being more associated with populations

living farther north in the Pleistocene, and while Masai are tall, they are
lean, and plenty of other folks from the African continent are all over
the map in terms of stature.

You’ve got someone from subSaharan Africa, described as being
animalistic, in an era where even learned scholars (especially learned
scholars) delighted in manufacturing fantastical racist imagery of
Africans as ape-like and bestial. I really suspect there isn’t much
mystery here.

■ >And another thought from someone who knows Georgia and its
history very well: tales of hairy and giant PEOPLE (not King Kongs,
dear skeptics) in the forests and mountains can be traced back to the
roots of Georgian history (or rather folk literature). This makes the
Ottoman slave theory even less likely.

Respectfully, I don’t see how that follows.

Folk tales of giant hairy people who live in forests would make a
misidentification of an African slave more likely, not less likely.

8. Wonderful programme by Sykes and Evans and in fact I enjoyed the whole series. I
had no hopes before the programme was aired that it wuld be rational and skeptical, but
it was. The story of Zana got sadder and sadder, and as someone said there is a lot
more to it that will maybe one day come out.

BTW - great site!!!

9. She lived until 1 890 and no one ever took a photo? That seems odd.

o Maybe cameras were not widespread in the area - it was a pretty backwards
area by the standards of the 1890s I would think. Also the people that imprisoned
and raped her would have been the most likely to own a camera

No mystery how she got there and no need for a ancient migration. Slaving goes
on now and surely went on within the Ottoman Empire, and there would have
been remnants of it in the area.

■ I agree, Scotty. The people who had her were likely to have had access to
what was pretty common technology. It sounds like they were not keeping
her existence a secret, nor were ashamed by her treatment.

* Early camera film was very slow, often requiring an exposure of several
seconds. It might not have been possible to take a good photo of her.

10. If there was a group of wild hairy people, could they not have been a branch of the
Aynu of western China?

o Gary, I don’t know how much the hairy bit to the Ainu is simply another race-
based (but this time from Japanese culture) description vs. actual hairyness.

But either way, Zana is not that now. Either she was a kidnapped woman from
modern Africa. Or she was part of a relic population from before modern humans
that left Africa before Neanderthals evolved (to say nothing of what H.
heidelbergensis DNA looks like, which we don’t know AFAIK), AND hasn’t mated
at all in that ancestry with Neanderthals, something not found in populations that
left Africa in the last 100,000 years. In other words, living in a completely isolated
population of humans without any significant outbreeding with either Neanderthals
or Eurasians in the last 60,000 years. Until of course in the 19th century.

Which of these seems more plausible to you? Now, if Sykes has mtDNA that
shows that indeed Zana is 300,000 or more years separated from everyone in
Eurasia, well, that will be amazing. But yeah, that’s what we’ll need to see.

■ But first we have to see, as someone here already mentioned, why Zana's
son Khvit has apparently Neandertal DNA in his mtDNA. Impossible if his
mother would just be “sub-saharan”. I am sure Sykes has an simple answer
to this and of course the superficial few articles on the case did not describe
his research detailed and correclty enough. But anyway, as long as Sykes
does not answer this explicitly the question remains: where does the
Neandertal man in Khvit's mtDNA comes from?? The news from Channel 4
made it even more mysterious: “First, they (the results) show that Zana was,
in fact, NO MORE Neanderthal than many of the rest of modern humans.”
Again: If she was African, she would have had NO Neandertal DNA! Or did I
miss any new study that showed that sub-saharan populations also possess
Neandertal genes?

■ Please, the documentary told us that the relatives had about just as
much neanderthal DNA as anyone else, nothing about Neanderthal
DNA in Khwits mtDNA.

11. I wasn’t referring to Zana at all, just the legends of hairy people that some are trying
to connect her to. They don’t have to be related.

o Ah, I see. I’d still suggest that one doesn’t need to explain such stories. This is
my issue with the argument that H. floresiensis is behind stories of little people. I
think it’s a cool idea, and in the case of that part of Indonesia, there may be
something to it.

But there aren’t floresiensis or something like it throughout the world, where we do
find little people stories. So while it is possible that floresiensis may have
something to do with the little people stories in Indonesia, it is also entirely
possible that the two are completely unrelated.

12. That’s true. People will often try to connect a legend to a sighting of some sort and

try to use it as evidence to validate one or the other. It may point to an area where
evidence should be looked for but is poor evidence in itself. People keep thinking they
see big cats in England. If they actually find one, it' doesn’t validate every funny noise or
fuzzy photo ever reported.

13. The pictures of her offspring looked quite obviously African descent to me. But there
was one odd thing that Sykes said. He tells the gathered experts’ she was 100%
subsarahan African, with the normal 2-3% Neanderthal DNA. But this can’t be possible,
as only European and asiatic peoples have the neanderthanal contribution, from after
Homo sapiens moved out of Africa. I may have misunderstood his point, or it was a
programming error, but basically she can't have been both totally African and also have
the Neanderthal contribution. Either she was mixed race, or there is a genuinely
interesting finding in her DNA and this is why he postulated the (to my mind ridiculous)
idea of an ancient hominid population in the area ( which the vet guy dismissed pretty
quickly).

14. I just listened to the relevant section of the program, and while the BBC narrator
made it clear that the likely answer is, well, the likely answer, I found Sykes’ speculative
statement to be irresponsible. We’ll see what he has to say about it, but it wouldn’t be
the first time a trained professional went beyond what they should have when a media
production was in play, and then upon more careful examination, modified their on-
camera statements. See my discussion of this between the statements by archaeologist
William Doleman when he was excavating in the area of the Roswell/Corona “crash” in
a tv show paid for by the Sci-Fi channel, and then how he largely rejected much of what
he had said during the media production, when he wrote the final report. Not because
he was lying, I think he just got caught up in the excitement, and also knew what those
involved wanted to hear, even if he wasn’t consciously bending the truth in that
direction.

http://spookyparadigm.blogspot.com/2007/08/ufology-unfalsifiable-review-of-

roswell.html

the relevant bit

“In the diaries as a whole, it is clear that while initially some interesting work was done,
particularly the subsurface remote sensing, once the TV cameras showed up,
everything turns to garbage. The television cameras dominate everything, including a
huge and pointless distraction of using a helicopter that ends up having mechanical
trouble (one wonders if it helped provide drama to the otherwise not very dramatic
excavations).

Even Doleman gets into it. When the cameras are there, much of his caution gets
dashed when he is clearly stressed out, and starts to get excited by what turns out to be
a likely ephemeral feature in alignment with the remote sensing return for “the gouge”
supposedly left by the Roswell craft. BTW, I’d just like to note that the gouge has grown
slightly, and in this accounting is now five hundred feet long, a bit bigger than the 390 -
480’ gouge described by Randle and Schmitt in 1991, though still in the same ballpark.

The discovery of a supposed gouge in the profile and in the remote sensing is a major
hook in the television show that aired in 2002, but in the book and in the included report,
it becomes clear that feature was likely a side-effect of the backhoe that was brought in,
or otherwise ephemeral. Likewise, Doleman gets very excited about another gouge, and
the discovery of an unrelated weather balloon, all when the cameras are around. His
caution returns when the cameras are gone, and he has time to think about all of this.”

0 I agree. There's no point speculating about an undiscovered discrete human
colony.

1 think everyone’s mouth could use a “Rewind” button.

15. Im not sure that this creature, “Sasquatch”, “Alma” ” Almasty”, ” Yeti” etc..., are
wholly physical.

Now, I’m not saying they are ghosts, but how can we explain how creatures as large as
most of these

sightings claim, can be so elusive? In addition, why has there never been a carcase?
Don’t these

creatures die? Surely, we should have found a body or skeletal remains before now,
yes?

They seem to exhibit almost supernatural abilities to evade and escape. Disappearing
quite rapidly

from view even in broad daylight. Once, a while back, I too, believed in Big Foot. But, as
I kept

running into huge inconsistencies displayed in the relatively uneven discipline of
“Bigfootology”,

I could no longer substantiate my trust in this oddly-behaving creature.

Perhaps one day, actual empirical evidence will arise. Until then..

o The supernatural creep is indicative that it is NOT a real creature, indeed. But
more likely a multi-faceted human construction. Not real, not supernatural, a mind
monster.

16. Worse news for bigfooters since Jacko turned out to be a hobo.

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The tale of Zana and her son, Khwit, have been staples in the mystery hominid stories of
Russia where their version of “Bigfoot” is called the Almas or Almasty. It was suspected that
Zana was not human but possibly a relict hominid, such as a Neanderthal. Previous study of
Khwit DNA showed that he was all human. This more specific test was able to show that
Zana was not of local origin but she w

as human. Her exoticness is likely what prompted the stories that morphed into her being
non-human.

Now, many will argue that this does not preclude the existence of relict hominoids (hominids)
that could be the Almasty. True, it does not. They also argued that Sykes finding of bear DNA
did not preclude the existence of the Yeti in the Himalayas or that the unmysterious results of
DNA samples from North America does not mean there is no Sasquatch/Bigfoot. But
cryptozoologists were excited that this would finally be the study that gave them proof. Sykes’
response is that is gives them ANSWERS. When you take all the scientific data all together, it
DOES NOT point to unknown primates still living in remote areas of the world. Is it possible?
Yes. Is it probable? No. And, it’s looking less and less probable every day.

Read the sad story of Zana (some of which is true, some fiction) here.

Tip: Matthew Robinson

50 comments for “The story of ‘Zana 1 , wild woman, has been solved through DNA
analysis (UPDATE)”

1. I was pulling for angel DNA.

2. This is, in my opinion, so much worse than I’d expected. I was (foolishly?) thinking
there was probably some birth defect at play and that the stories of Zana were that of a
maltreated person who was misunderstood. Instead I find that it is the story of a
foreigner probably held in captivity and treated as something other than human - and
then that shameful story being morphed overtime into a false tale of a wild woman with
animal qualities. I’m delighted to find some definitive information about the case through
Dr. Sykes reseearch - but somebody’s going to be able to get a dissertation out of the
history of this case. This is way bigger, in my opinion, than the unusual bear DNA.

o She could easily be both — a kidnapped African with various deformities. What I
find striking in the “Story of Zana” linked is that Zana never learned the local
language, which seems hard to believe unless she was mentally handicapped in
some way.

The insensitivity to cold mentioned reminds me of Victor of Aveyron.

3. Perhaps the most interesting lesson to learn from this is that the definitions of races
and the labels used to describe them were not nearly as universal before mass media.
I'd bet that the descriptions of her being covered in hair were a garbled attempt to
describe her skin color. Something like, “she was the color of bear fur,” and that

became “she had fur.” (Of course, the fact that her given name meant “black” might
have been a little bit of a clue to who she really was.)

I was a little surprised that Sykes suggests that maybe Zana was evidence of another
migration out of Africa. When would that be, exactly? In historic times? Before historic
times? I’m not quite sure if I see a window for a migration of sub-Saharan Africans out
of Africa where it's early enough for their passage and settlement to be ignored by
history, yet so late that they had absolutely no genetic contact with anyone on Europe
and Asia in the intervening time, allowing Zana to have a genetic profile that would be
100% sub-Saharan African DNA. I think it’s a lot more likely she was the child of
escaped slaves, maybe even a feral child. That being said, someone should check the
early travelogues about Siberia and see if they can find anything interesting.

o Well, this is just about the coolest “solved - unsolved mystery I’ve ever heard
about! How is Zana’s story not one of the regular types of “investigations” done on
all the paranormal type shows??? I love these kinds of stories because, even with
actual evidence, they still prove to be mysteries! I ran across the story when I
couldn’t sleep last and really couldn’t believe I’ve never even seen a documentary
about her! (or is there?) It’s truly the most fascinating mystery I’ve read about in
years! It’s funny too, because I was reading about something else I’d never heard
of, thinking THAT was the wildest thing I’d never heard of - strange happenings in
the Hoia Baciu Forest, Romania. Then I saw a link to this, AND THIS was 100
times more fascinating - and its true!! Ok, so onto my comment/question about
incredible person (we can say that w/ certainty now, right? don’t wanna get into
that debate! lol) and here they are:

1. Could she have maybe suffered from the birth defect nicknamed “Werewolf
Syndrome,” medically known as Congenital Hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth
over the entire body)??? I googled it and though Zana didn’t seem to have all the
associated symptons, she sounds like she may have had several. So, could it
have been like a different “strain” or new version of the disease? I wonder if DNA
tests show things like that (sorry, not a geneticist haha) and those might be able to
explain why she at least looked the way she did!

2. Again, not a scientist here, but — feral children? Even they learn to speak and
can be brought back into “society” so to say, but for Zana not to have ever
behaved even 1/2 way human, wouldn't she have had to be born in the wild, from
a wild “feral” mother? And not that I’m trying to shoot down this theory, its just that
literally my knowledge about such cases stems from old Tarzan movies and 15
min unsolved mystery show about feral children in Russia or Bosnia (somewhere
like that) who had basically been orphaned in town, city or area not too long ago
that was devastated by war or some other awful thing. So, I’m genuinely asking
because I’m curious what has been said, if anything, about what could possibly
explain her total lack of social skills, speaking etc.

3. Last thing I also thought maybe she didn’t actually have hair the way it’s

described, that maybe it was a description of skin color or even being a little extra
hairy here in there (hahaha), but became “garbled” as time passed. But after I

thought about it, I wondered if things like that can happen to that extent in our
modern time? I mean it was 1899, not 1399. Does that make sense? I mean it
wasn’t that long ago, we had many modern conveniences modern medicine (well
sorta lol) and people lived longer. Her last descendant died in the 1950s, so its not
like it was the 1300’s when people died of disease, war, famine infection, but even
then people did not live much past middle age I think. So basically, 100 years ago
wasnt so long ago and I jut picture stories like this become grander and grander
with each retelling over 1 00’s of years - not 1 1 5 y rs ago. I mean, does that sound
like a possibility or am I totally nuts? HAHA I dunno, it just seems like things that
happen short times ago tend to be more true or have more proof... I dunno, I’m
just a soccer mom that’s always been fascinated with legend, folklores, myth etc. I
just want to know SOOOO bad who she was, what her story was and why she
never learned to speak when humans basically do it through osmosis practically!

I really liked your post and your thoughts, they were pretty much mine as well -
all, except of course, anything you said concerning sub saharan, Siberia
passages, something about Europe forgotton history etc etc.... ALL above my
pay-grade Im sad to say! Complicated human history stuff never stayed in my
brain and never will, but ask me the names of Columubus’ ships or how the
Indians showed the 1st Pilgrims how to grow food and survive? No problem!
hahahaha Sorry for the longgggg post, but I have a million questions and
everyone who posts here just seems to know way more than I have been able to
look up so far. I just want to see someone do like a 2hr documentary on this! I
hope this discussion stays active for awhile, its awesome! Riveting topic to say the
least. Maybe someone can give me a few theories about her whole lack of speech
thing - I hate to be repetitive, but damn! That’s just the most mysterious part for
me!!! Its probably already known, but didn’t see anything about this - but could
she have been deaf maybe? Hence the grunts and sounds she would only make?
And where do the drawings of what she looked like or sketches, whatever. ..come
from? When were they done? Ugh Ok, no more!!! hahahahaha

■ I think that the “mystery” of her animalistic, behaviour and the
embellishment of how she looked (If it was embellishment) could be
explained by shame on the part of the latter day villagers, especially after
the village became less remote and outsiders began to be more common.
Slavery was abolished in other civilised societies. From the description I’ve
read she was obviously treated as sub human and lead an early life chained
and caged like and animal. Its much easier to excuse your inhuman
behaviour (Including regular rape and taking her children away from her) if
you can convince everyone that she was just a wild animal and not a
sentient, feeling human being. Maybe she suffered long term injury from the
beating she endured when she was captured so brutally, possible head
injury could explain strange behaviour or lack of speech. Or as an adult in
order to learn a new language you need a sympathetic teacher who
recognises your intelligence and need to do so, it doesn’t sound like her
owner was any of these, especially as it seems likely that he fathered all or

some of her children. Lastly, did she have a tongue? Is this known, given all
the other violence and indignities she was exposed to may be it would be
more convenient if she couldn't talk to express herself, to tell all that she had
endured, or to ask for help. Through out history humans have excused there
appaling crimes against other humans who are different in some way from
themselves by demonising them or, describing them as animals who don’t
deserve basic human dignity and rights. I think that Zana’s story is another
example of this ignorance and prejudice. It made me feel very emotional
seeing the TV show about her.

■ I think there’s some similarities between Zana’s described behavior and
the descriptions of Victor of Aveyron and Genie as described on Wikipedia;
both were described as almost insensitive to cold and neither really learned
how to speak in complete sentences or was ever integrated fully into society.

4. So, in other words.

1 . ) All the samples of Bigfoot and Yeti DNA turned out to be bear and other animals

2. ) The Zana case touted by generations of cryptozoologists as one of their best, is
instead a horrible case of racism, abuse, and rape, the reframing of victims as beasts.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the moment when Bigfoot leaves pseudoscience, and
becomes mysticism. This is the Mogul balloon (first discovered by ufologists, no less),
the MJ12 documents. This is the Surgeon’s photo and Operation DeepScan. This is the
Cottingsley Fairies.

People will still honestly report what they think was Bigfoot. There will still be Bigfooters
that try to work in a cargo cult science frame. But this is where, IM not humble O, the
split happens, and we see the previous generation quietly give way to a mostly mystical
form of folklore and practice.

And that’s probably for the best.

5. This is part of the original report that was left out of the Doubtful News article:

“And Sykes has raised the bold theoretical possibility that Zana could be a remnant of
an earlier human migration out of Africa, perhaps tens of thousands, of years ago. If
correct, Zana could be evidence of a hitherto unknown human ‘tribe’, dating from a
distant time when the human species was still evolving and whose ancestors were
forced into remote regions, like the Caucasus mountains, by later waves of modern
humans coming out of Africa.”

o But this possibility is remote.

■ That is a guess on your part. For Dr. Sykes to have raised the question of
the possibility of it means that the possibility is not completely out of the
question and bears further examination.

6. I think this is the new site, so I’ll just reiterate that in the press release, while Sykes
suggests that as an intriguing idea, the more recent forced transport of Zana to Central
Asia is described as most likely.

Sad to see this scrap of interesting if true, but probably not true, speculation will keep
this sordid story afloat.

7. BTW, this isn’t just Anthropic placing Bigfoot in the Gaps here, this is quickly
becoming the party line on the usual suspects blogs.

Now, of course, this won’t stop them from also talking about an 8-ft tall hairy ape-man in
the Himalayas and North America, despite Sykes discarding all of that with the DNA
research. But that’s how cherry-picking pseudoscience works.

o I noticed BS BE blog has a “poll” about what you think Zana is. As if science is
decided by vote. Morons. One dissenting non-expert does not get to overturn a
consensus but the story is better than the truth over them parts.

■ I watched the whole episode. EVERYBODY who watched it and who has
just a little bit knowledge about human evolution realized that Sykes
supposed an ARCHAIC Homo sapiens and not a modern Homo sapiens
sapiens at the end of the show, after he had examined all the evidence
(DNA and skull morphology). The slave theory was just Syke's first reaction
after 15 minutes or so of the show. Anyway, I doubt that the descendants of
16th century slaves could and would have suvived in the higher Caucasus
for centuries without any kind of civilization. They would have died or would
have migrated to more hospitable regions - or would have been killed or
captured by slave hunters. Just a thought from someone who has been to
the Caucasus several times and did a PhD on Georgian history (and
therefore knows a litle bit on the Ottoman slave trade in the region). Ah, and
please excuse my bad English.

■ 1. “Anyway, I doubt that the descendants of 16th century slaves
could and would have suvived in the higher Caucasus for centuries
without any kind of civilization. They would have died or would have
migrated to more hospitable regions - or would have been killed or
captured by slave hunters”

Well, yes. That’s the whole point. Zana was a captive. There is no
reason to believe Zana is representative of some lost “tribe” of 16th
century slaves. As noted, there were slaves in the region two decades
earlier.

2. Sykes is a geneticist. Is he trained to look at skeletal morphology of
ancestral humans? Even then, there are decades of researchers
claiming this and that feature looks “primitive” in modern populations,
ideas that have usually then fallen apart under genetic analysis.

3. If Sykes is serious about the “unknown archaic population” idea,
then that is (relatively) easily solved. He’s got DNA. He should be able
to do mtDNA which will determine whether Zana left Africa a few
generations ago, or 400,000 BP.

■ Before I start, some basic words. I am NOT here to fight an
ideological battle, because although I find cryptozoological
research worthwhile and extremely interesting, I have to admit
that 95% of it is pure fantasy and nonsense. But I think it is
worthwhile, because somebody HAS to look for the evidence
science and skeptics are demanding. Certainly it also very
debatable, depending on your personal perspective, if Sykes
results are a „cryptozoological success 1 ' or rather a major defeat
for cryptozoology. In my opinion, the likely discovery of a new big
bear species, a Pleistocene survivor, is what cryptozoology is all
about: finding new species. But: no, I do not believe that there
are dinosaurs in the Congo or Gigantopitheci in the forests of
America or other places. However, there are still undiscovered
large mammals around, as Sykes has shown, and there is some
good evidence, that archaic hominins are still around in the
mountains and forests of Asia (especially on Sumatra, where the
scientists of the “Flora and Fauna International” organization
have seen the so-called Orang Pendek during their research on
tigers. I emailed three years ago with one of those scientists and
she declared, that she was absolutely sure that these creatures
exist, because she had seen them on three occassions.)

That “cryptozoological belief can turn in time into scientific
mainstream knowledge was demonstrated in recent years in
paleoanthropology:

- Until a couple of years ago everybody in science did not
believe that we would find another archaic human other than
Neandertal in the period after 40.000 years ago. The discovery of
the Denisova man has changed all this. And due to the genetic
analysis of the Denisova man we also know that there was a
third archaic human, still unknown, that shared Eurasia together
with Neandertal man, Denisova man and Homo sapiens - after
40.000 years ago!

- The finding of Flores man showed science that there was still a
very “primitive” human around at least 18.000 years ago,
perhaps even as late as 12.000 years. After initial discussion if
Flores man is just a modern man suffering from diseases, the
debate is now almost settled and the vast majority of
anthropologists see them now either as a dwarfed erectus or
even a Homo habilis (died out in Africa around 2.8 million years
ago). Just 12-18.000 years ago!

Now to your points:

- Zana was hairy: anecdotes are just very weak scientific
evidence, I have to admit. But apart from the skull and the DNA
that is all what we have. And all people interviewed on Zana
described her as extremely hairy and a “fur” covered all of her
body apart from the face. Does this sound African? Now, we will
never know, because until now it is just impossible to conclude
from fossil bones to the hairiness of the skin. Was African
erectus/heidelbergensis covered in a fur, or not, just because
modern African populations are not? We do not know and we will
probably never know in the foreseeable future.

- Giant people: This is rather a question of perspective. Even
today the inhabitants of Abchasia are not very tall, I would say
the general man there is about 1,68-70 metres, the women of
course even smaller. Therefore relative small people could
consider people - you mentioned the Massaii - with a general
height of almost 1,90 meters as real giants.

- Robust morphology: ALL Homo erectus bones I know show
that these homini were very massively build in comparison to
modern populations. But one has not to go so deep into time.
Even here in Central Europe, late Paleolithic and Mesolitic men
were much stronger build than Neolithic men just a couple of
thousand years later. In other words: physiognomic
characteristics changed fast - and even the anatomically modern
Homo sapiens changed its look drastically between the
paleolithic and modern times. To conclude from the looks of
modern African population at the beginning of the 21st century to
paleolithic modern Homo sapiens is therefore misleading. The
same, by the way, could also apply to the hairiness of the skin.

Last but not least: Sykes will publish a book in March/April of
next year. This book he advertised as a book that “will change
our understanding of human history”. Now Sykes could be a very
naive man, but I do not think so. Even someone with the
reputation he has cannot allow himself to describe the known
Zana results as something that could change our understanding
of human history. My bet: he has already examined the DNA
from the skull of Zana'son. And therefore he is confident that he
can use such a description for his book. A single escaped slave
(very unlikely, because Abchasia was part of Russia by then and
slavery prohibited) or a colony/”tribe” of escaped slaves from the
Ottoman era would certainly not be in line with such a bold
announcement.

My personal prediction (but just a feeling): Zana is the
descendant of an early migration out of Africa, a “tribe” or rather
lineage, that is antomically “modern”, but not a major contributor
to modern mankind. There are two fossil records that would fit to

such a description, both from Australia: the Kow Swamp and the
Mungo man (Lake Mungo 3). I am confident that these are the
same lineages and that Zana is related to those folks.

But to end my comments: Of course I could be totally wrong. We
will see after the publication of Sykes's book. IF he REALLY calls
the finding of a modern African (anytime between 15th and 19th
century) in the Caucasus as something that “will change our
understanding of human history", then he lives in a parallel
universe. He just will be laughed at.

■ His genetics say Zana is a modern subSaharan African
woman. If we’re talking something farther from us than
Neanderthals, Denisova, the un-named west-African
archaic only found in descendants with no type fossil, etc.,
then we aren't talking anatomically modern, are we? And
for someone furry and “giant,” we’d be talking about that.

Maybe I’m wrong. But my take is that he’s got something
that seems out of place, and he's not discounting the
stories about Zana. I personally think that without real
genetic evidence suggesting something separated from us
by over 300,000 years or more, we should discount the
stories. She was an African, and the report is coming from
the time when Africans were most likely to be
misrepresented as apes because of the rise of scientific
racism in the wake of Darwin (who did not support such
frames, but who gave the ideological cover to do so), and
when people were all too happy to throw around
descriptions of “primitive” to describe modern human
variation.

If Sykes presents a major mtDNA split of the sort that has
been used to separate out the other archaics, so be it. But
just pointing at “primitive" morphology, when one has the
DNA in hand, is crap.

■ Hi,

no, this is not what I wanted to express. I just
answered some of your points. OF COURSE DNA will
bring the final answer, but the morphological
differences will help to give them additonal value. And
of course the descriptions of “primitive features” have
to be scientifically sound and not based on the
ideological/racist/white superiority constructions of the
19th century. But I am sure Sykes - or any other

The Sword in the Stone at the Monte Siepi Chapel -
Historic Mysteries

July 26, 2011

historicmysteries.com

The Sword in the Stone is a story with ties to Arthurian legend. It is
the tale of the future King Arthur, who pulled the embedded sword
from the stone when no other man could. It is a legend that displays
the mythical qualities bestowed on Arthur — his ability to do the
impossible — and it is not the only Arthurian legend involving the
seemingly unlikely retrieval of a sword. Of course, there are other
legends that display Arthur’s weaknesses — particularly, Guinevere
and Morgan le Fay.

Judging by a real artifact, the sword in the stone legend may be

partially based on true events. No one pulled a sword from a stone

and went on to become a king, as far as we know. In fact, the

sword that exists in reality rather than legend is still stuck in its

The Galgano Sword in the Stone ,, , . ... , .

by Adrian Michael stone. However, there is no denying that such a sword exists. The

stone and sword in question are located at Monte Siepi Chapel in
the San Galgano Abbey in Tuscany. The abbey is in Italy and the history of it has naught to
do with England. However, it may be the inspiration for this popular story. After all, how many
swords in stones can there possibly be?

San (Saint) Galgano Guidotti was born in 1148 is allegedly the man behind the real sword in
the stone at Siepi Chapel. Guidotti was a knight that was far removed from the knights of
Arthur’s Round Table. He was a brutal and cruel knight, but he turned his life around in the
end and become a saint. At the age of 32, Guidotti saw the Archangel Michael, who told him
that he must end his life of sin and showed him the path to god. The year was 1 1 80.

Galgano Guidotti did not initially abide by the angel of Heaven. He did not do as the angel
suggested and commit to god. It was not until he was out riding one day that he was faced
with the place of his salvation — Monte Siepi. Monte Siepi did not include the impressive
abbey and chapel that grace the landscape now when Galgano found it. In fact, it was just a
hill with some bedrock in it. There, something — a voice from Heaven, perhaps — told him
again that he had to change. He replied that it would be as difficult as “splitting rock with a
sword." He then tried to demonstrate the hopelessness of his situation, but instead of
breaking, his sword went straight into the rock. The story goes that Galgano used the rock
with the sword in it as an altar for praying from that day forth. He died roughly a year after
sinking his sword into the stone at Monte Siepi.

Galgano Guidotti was canonized by Pope Lucius III in 1185. That is a rather quick
achievement of sainthood by today’s standards, but he is still officially a saint. Starting the
year of his canonization, monks built a chapel around his sword and stone altar. Today, it
overlooks the ruins of San Galgano Abbey from its site on the hill. The chapel still contains
the sword in the stone, though it is now encased in plastic so people will not try to steal it,
break it or become King of England with it. Legend has it that one such fellow was set upon

by a pack of wolves when he tried to take the sword. There is a pair of mummified hands in
the chapel. They supposedly belonged to the would be thief.

While the sword may never have belonged to Saint Galgano Guidotti (this is still not entirely
certain), one thing is certain, it dates from around his lifetime. If it did not belong to him, it
belonged to someone else of his era. The mummified hands are from around that time as
well. Therefore, there seems to be some truth to the story of the San Galgano sword in the
stone.

Sources

The Sword in the Stone, retrieved 5/25/11, sangalgano.org

The Sword in the Stone at Montesiepi Chapel, retrieved 5/25/11, atlasobscura.com/place/the-
sword-in-the-stone-at-montesiepi-chapel

Hellqvist, Bjorn, The Sword in the Stone - The Legend of Saint Galgano, retrieved 5/25/11,
myarmory.com/feature_stone.html

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The Taulas of Menorca

October 14, 2013

historicmysteries.com

The Spanish Island of Menorca lies in the western
Mediterranean and is the easternmost island of
the Balearic group. It is a relatively small, rocky
island measuring 50 km across at its widest.
Although this island is just a speck in the vast sea,
it has attracted the attention of many
archaeologists due to 35 mysterious stone
megaliths scattered throughout the island. One
glance at these megaliths, named locally as
taulas, and they become instantly familiar. The
taulas of Menorca look remarkably similar to the
famous megalith of England called Stonehenge.

Humans have been known to exist on Menorca since at least 2000 BC, perhaps even earlier.
Some experts suggest the first seafaring people to arrive were of the eastern Mediterranean,
such as the Minoans in Crete. The period during which their culture would flourish and evolve
would become known as the Talayotic period of Menorca. The Talayots would thrive there for
thousands of years until the arrival of the Romans in 1 23 BC.

The Talayotic people who created these megaliths never documented the exact purpose of
the mysterious stone monuments they left behind. Now, thousands of years later, researchers
and archaeologists are trying to identify why they were built.

What we do know is that the megaliths of Menorca are known locally as “taulas,” which mean
tables in the Catalan language spoken on the island. The name originated when the only
remaining feature of these buried megaliths were the flat, table-like tops, protruding from the
surface of the earth. Because many of these taulas were buried long ago, some have been
unearthed and found to be in almost pristine condition.

The taula of Torralba d’en Salort*, is one of the thirteen most preserved taulas of Menorca,
and is the most intact taula on the island. Just like most of the other taulas, it was also buried
under dirt and rock before being found again. If one looks closely at the stone support
structure of the T orralba d’en Salort taula, the maroon color of the soil still stains the stone
post. The stain, so high on the post, reveals just how deep this megalith was buried.

The Menorcan taulas all share the same basic features. They are set in a horseshoe
enclosure with a wall of surrounding stones. Its entrance lays opposite the front face of the
stone monument. Another common feature of the taulas is that they generally face a
southernly direction with an unobstructed view of the horizon. Additionally, these taulas are
unique to the Island of Menorca and located nowhere else in the Balearic Islands.

Taulas of Menorca. The Torralba d ’en Salort

Theories

Temple of the Bull God

There are no records identifying the religious practices of those who built these taulas. In
fact, if they did worship a god, we do not know its name. One theory states that the taula was
a representation of their god, much like a cross would be to Christians.

The Torralba d’en Salort is almost completely surrounded by a
wall, with the exception of an opening in the front.

Rectangular shelves were purposefully included in these
walls, which may have been used to display their religious
figures. During the excavation of the Torralba d’en Salort, a
bronze bull was found which may have been an object of
worship originally housed on one of these shelves. Another
discovery was a clay perfume burner in the shape of a
goddesses head. These artifacts bear a strong similarity to the
decorations one would find in churches today. The discovery
of the bronze bull is significant, since the original people of
Menorca are believed to have come from Crete. The bull
played a prominent role with the Minoans of Crete during the
Bronze Age. In 1967, Spanish archaeologist J. Mascaro
Pasarius boldly suggested that the taula was a representation
of a “Bull God," the vertical slab representing the face of the bull and the horizontal slab its
horns.

There is some disagreement to this theory. Up to a few years ago, it was believed the taulas
had a roof, but now researchers agree that they did not. Remnants of a sacrificial fire pit
were found in a semi circle enclosure towards the front of the taula. It is the believed this fire
pit was used to sacrifice animals to their god. The pit was fairly large, so a roof over this taula
would be impractical.

Remnants of another fire pit used as a stove were also found just right of the entrance to the
taula. This kitchen, so to speak, was probably used to prepare food for the tribe following
their celebrations. Stone seats next to this outdoor stove were most likely reserved for
important tribal leaders, families or the elderly.

Healing Temple Theory

Another theory suggests the taulas were oriented to the Centaurus constellation, which
includes the Southern Cross and the bright stars Beta and Alpha Centauri. Although these
clusters of stars are no longer visible in the night sky of Menorca, they were clearly visible
over the southern horizon 3,000 years ago. This may also explain why no taulas are found
on the the neighboring island of Mallorca, which is mountainous with no clear view of the
horizon for the majority of islanders who lived inland.

The connection to the Centaurus constellation originates from another discovery found while
excavating the taulas. In one excavation, an Egyptian figurine was found containing a
hieroglyphics inscription which read, “lam Imhotep the god of medicine." Also found was a

Just like modem churches, religious
icons may have been placed on these
shelves.

bronze horse hoof. Using this evidence with our
understanding of Greek mythology, we know
the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius, was tutored
by the centaur named Chiron.

As time passed, the Centaurus constellation
became harder to see in the southern sky. By
1 ,000 BC, this star cluster was barely visible at all.
This may explain why the taulas were eventually
abandoned. Once Centaurus was out of sight, the
Talayots no longer found the taulas to be relevant.
Ceremonies became fewer and far between and
eventually the practice ceased all together. The
Talayots, no longer seeing a use for these taulas,

The Fenn Moon Theory

In 1930 the German archaeologist, researcher and artist, Waldemar Fenn, came to
Menorca and studied its history. He was fascinated by its ancient culture and remained in
Menorca for the rest of his life. Fenn eventually wrote two books about Menorca and the
taulas. His theory is considered by some researchers as arguably the most realistic because
it appears to best explain the twelve of the thirteen intact taulas on the island. The only taula
that did not match his theory was the megalith located in the northern part of the island.

In Fenn’s studies, he noted a prehistoric cave drawing found on Menorca which showed
accurate interpretations of constellations. This convinced him that he was dealing with a
culture that had developed a strong interest in astronomy.

Fenn also realized that the taulas all generally faced in a southern direction. The first thing
Waldemar Fenn wanted to prove was that this place was a religious monument. This should
have been easy to do since many cultures throughout history would normally create their
religious structures pointing to a fixed point in the sky. However, Fenn realized this may not
be the case when it was revealed that the taulas did not point to any known fixed point in the
heavens.

Fenn revised his hypothesis. If the taulas are not pointed to any particular fixed point in the
sky, then perhaps it was created for an object in the sky which moves. This hypothesis
showed positive results.

What Fenn learned was if somebody looked at the entrance of the taula in December, the full
moon would be located on the left corner of the top of the taula. The following year the moon
would be 1.5 degrees to the right of its position from the year before. After 9 years, the moon
would be on the exact opposite side of the top of the Taula. This 9 year travel would equate
to 13.5 degrees of movement and essentially create a semi circle over the top of taula. After
18 years, the moon would have reversed that semi circle and be located on the left corner of
the taula as it was 18 years before.

Were the taulas oriented to the Centaurus
constellation? Image credit: Akira Fujii

buried them in the rocky soil.

Fenn also noted the number of columns
surrounding the taula. There were twelve full
columns, plus one half sized column. Fenn
realized the half column was not shortened
because of structural damage. It was designed
like that on purpose. Returning to his moon
theory, Fenn knew every year there are either
twelve or thirteen full moons. The average of
course, would be 12.5. This number explains why
there are 12.5 columns surrounding the taula.

But one problem still remained. Fenn knew that twelve of the thirteen taula sites accurately
portrayed this moon movement. The only exception was the taula in the north of the island.
This was the only taula not facing the same location as the other twelve. This perplexed him
and prevented his theory from receiving a wider acceptance.

It wasn’t until many years later that researchers learned the entrance to that lone taula is not
in its original location. Fenn may have been right all along. Fenn believed these taulas were
prehistoric calendars. The ancient people of Minorca who created these taulas over 3,500
years ago followed the moon and accurately predicted lunar eclipses.

But as we all know, a theory is just a theory. Perhaps one day we will learn the true purpose
of the taulas of Menorca. Until then, they will remain a true mystery of this enchanted island.

Address: Torralba d’en Salort
Latitude: 39 0 54’44.99"

Longitude: 4°09 , 47.89"

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The Taula Moon Theory proposed by Waidemar Fenn.

The time I gave a sample to a vampire. • /r/TalesFromRetail

reddit.com

this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2015

MediumThe time I gave a sample to a vampire. (self.TalesFromRetail)
submitted 1 day ago * by magino
Hi r/TalesOfRetail!

First time poster in this sub. I have worked for grocery stores for about 7 years now, and
while I have had my fair share of crazy stories, they've never been "share worthy”. Today, I
was working and I think I have just gotten a worthy enough story to share with you all.

I work in the produce department of a popular grocery store. I have a pretty extensive
knowledge of produce, and I really like sharing it with my customers. Here I am, stacking
oranges at the citrus area when Vampire Lady arrives (henceforth known as VL). Cue
conversation:

VL: Hi how are you?

Me: I’m great, how are you?

VL: Good. Say, what are those?

*Let me break this to say that this woman seemed a little off her rocker. She was kinda
jumping all over the place in the conversation (I left out a bit where she inquired about
something completely random and didn't actually seem to care). I get the feeling she just
needed/wanted to talk to someone. Anyways.. *

Me: Oh these? Blood oranges.

VL: Can I sample one?

Me: Sure.

My workplace encourages us to sample out anything, especially if a customer asks. Normally,
I'm totally cool with it, but today I was already in a sour mood AND it was busy as fuck, so I
did it very reluctantly

I got the slice of blood orange and brought it back to her, and she ate it.

VL: Oh, this is yummy! I see why they call it a "blood orange"

Me: Yeah, they're really deep red and super juicy!

VL: And it kinda tastes like blood

Me: stares and kind of awkwardly mutters "what"

VL: Yeah, don't you ever suck your own blood?

Me: Can't say that I do...

One of the strangest encounters that I have had with a customer to date.

* 12 comments

all 12 comments

[-]XkF21 WNJ 28 points 1 day ago
Have you considered stocking more garlic?

[-]magino[S] 12 points 1 day ago

haha, the garlic display was too far away, must have been why she stuck around longer than
wanted...

[-]TheGirlwThePinkHair 17 points 1 day ago

What a moron. Blood oranges are yummy (not as yummy as honeybells) but they taste
nothing like blood.

[-]dlogan3344 20 points 1 day ago

Yeah, and we should know. I for one, have eaten blood for a thousand and some odd years.
[-]WTS_BRIDGE 11 points 18 hours ago
Everyone scatter! The area manager is here!

[-]LordD Vanity 1 point 15 hours ago
Honeybells?

[-]herefromthere 8 points 1 day ago

I suck my finger if I give myself a papercut and it bleeds. Do I need to worry?

[-]Bettie Phage 5 points 1 day ago

Nah, all animals lick their wounds as far as I know.

[-]Ryuun12 5 points 1 day ago

...I've done that before, out of curiosity. Tastes iron-y.

[-]k-needs-a-hobby 6 points 1 day ago

Not citrousy? Hmm. You must not be from Florida.

[-]radwolf76 3 points 16 hours ago
Like rain on your wedding day?

The Tragic Ballad of Lillie Davis - Virginia Creeper

vacreeper.com

Ack Hale burst into the Bristol police station on the night of
March 27, 1 907. He told authorities he’d just been near the East
Hill Cemetery when a beautiful woman ran in and shot herself.
He didn’t know her, but he wanted to help.

Several lawmen ran back to the scene, but Hale remained
behind to answer questions. It wasn’t long before things just
didn’t add up. As the interrogation grew serious, his story began
to change. Soon he admitted Lillie wasn’t really a stranger. She
was his ex-fiancee, and he spent the day with her in an attempt
to gracefully end their relationship. In the course of events, the
couple happened to stroll into the cemetery. She grew
despondent and grabbed his gun once they were inside. She
shot herself through the heart before he could wrestle the piece
away from her.

The Victim

The story didn’t add up for many people. Lillian “Lillie" Davis
was a beautiful young lady from the affluent family of J. W.
Davis. The 18-year-old was recently engaged to John E.
McRoberts, son of a wealthy coalmine owner in Wise County.
The authorities found stamped wedding announcements she’d
made for her union with McRoberts. Close friends and relatives
were well into plans for the service. The immediate family had been as excited as Lillie.

She was found six feet from the state line. M. M. Cloyd was the first person to reach her. She
was unconscious, but alive. Everyone hoped the bullet in her chest had missed her heart.
Doctors treated her throughout the night. Sadly, she only woke enough to scream and lapsed
into a coma. She wore her wedding gown when they buried her, on what was supposed to be
her wedding day. The investigation drew such notoriety that Virginia and Tennessee had to
resurvey the cemetery to see which officials had jurisdiction.

Authorities found Ack’s gun near the body. The 25-year-old didn’t deny he'd been in the
cemetery at some point, but it didn’t appear he’d just been standing outside, either. A
graveyard was a macabre place for a young couple to stroll and there were two sets of
footprints, in tandem, leading to the scene. The police’s suspicions grew so strong they
decided to incarcerate Ack while they constructed the case. They quickly found he and Lillie
had a lengthy history together. They courted irregularly for some time. Lillie had returned
Ack’s letters and gifts in the days before her death, and informed him she’d chosen to marry
McRoberts.

The Theory

The police had a strong theory of what happened. They believed he approached Lillie to offer
false congratulations. He persuaded her to take a walk with him. He got her away from her
home and began his abuse. He kept her from family and friends all day, and then forced her
into the cemetery that evening. He then unleashed a jealous rage.

John Bruner, a Bristol farmer, testified that he watched Ack
pour whiskey down Lillie’s throat a number of times before
they entered the cemetery. A variety of witnesses had seen
him hit her. Children were also among witnesses
interviewed. Several were playing near the cemetery when
he pushed Lillie in. They heard her sob, “If I go in there, I will
never come out alive."

The couple was in the cemetery for around fifteen minutes
before a gun was fired.

The First Tactless Trial

It was an unusually slanderous trial. The defense’s primary
aim was character assassination. Their approach was far
more centered on incriminating Lillie than even repudiating
the charges. Ack boasted that they were intimate many
times, and brought in a number of women to testify of Lillie’s
impurity.

The prosecution brought in their own experts who autopsied
the body. Doctors testified they found unmistakable evidence that she’d been raped before
the murder. The defense’s tactics began to fall apart. The prosecution, as well as the public,
discovered that all the women who’d testified on Lillie’s “dubious” nature were not only
prostitutes; they were paid to testify as the defense wanted. They were ladies of the evening
in Knoxville and Johnson City. Their testimony was dismissed.

Mrs. Davis, Lillie’s mother, was called to the stand. The court watched anxiously as she
testified about her deceased daughter. She abruptly stood, pointed a finger at Ack, and
accused him of killing her daughter. The psychological strain was too much and she
collapsed. The authorities carried her from the courtroom.

The media circus of the first trial was all for naught. It would soon be declared a mistrial.
Jurors couldn’t agree on what to do with him, although most had no doubt of his guilt. Eight
jurors wanted him hung, three wanted him imprisoned, and one lone juror wanted an
acquittal.

The prosecution was disappointed by the mistrial ruling, but determined to convict Ack. The
next trial was to commence in September of 1907. The mistrial was actually a blessing in
disguise.

Twisted Trial #2

The next trial didn’t actually begin until January 1908. The prosecution assumed the next trial
would be much like the first. A spurned suitor had taken matters into his own hands and
committed a crime of passion. Time proved this theory wrong. Ack’s reasons came to be
considered even more criminal. It was no longer a crime of passion, but one of calculation.
Around that time, there was also infamy around a man named Roy Hale.

The police discovered that Ack and Roy weren’t just related, they were brothers. Roy was
Ack's youngest brother and, ironically, in the middle of a murder trial himself. Irby Davis was
Lillie’s youngest brother, who’d also died under mysterious circumstances just weeks before
Lillie.

Roy paid a visit to the Davis household to speak with Irby one evening. The two took their
conversation outside. Before long, shots were heard. Lillie ran outside, but her little brother
was already dying. Roy had disappeared. Roy told authorities that it was a case of suicide
and that Irby just didn’t want to live any longer.

The circumstances changed considerably during the second trial. Instead of a jealous rage,
Ack's crimes were committed to eliminate a key witness for his little brother. Prosecutors
discovered that Ack had a ticket for Colorado in his belongings. His sole reason for visiting
Bristol wasn’t to reminisce, but to get rid of Lillie.

Lillie finally had justice by the end of May, in 1908. Ack was sentenced to 99 years in prison.
For a brief time, it looked as if his money was going to buy a favorable ruling in the Court of
Appeals. Fortunately, his request for an appeal was denied in December. He would serve his
life sentence in the Nashville State Penitentiary.

Now About Roy

Roy was no longer as confident after Ack’s conviction. He stood by the suicide story until his
court date approached. It was February of 1908 when Roy came to court. The self-defense
claim imploded when he was cross-examined. He admitted he shot Irby Davis, but then it was
out of self-defense. He’d insulted Lillie and Irby became enraged.

Medical experts shocked the courtroom when they verified Irby hadn’t died from any self-
inflicted wounds or any self-defense wounds. He was shot twice in the back. Guilt was
beyond doubt by the time the trial was over. No secondary legal processes were necessary.
Roy was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison in Brushy
Mountain.

Later On

Ack Hale wasn't finished seeking media attention, or trying to slither out of his sentence. He
eventually got his case to the state supreme court. Judge Bell rehashed all details in the
case, and emphasized that Ack could not prove Lillie loved him, any more than he could
prove he loved her. The judge affirmed the sentence. Ack showed no emotion during the
procedure and even when the sentence was affirmed, he gave no outward display.

In November of 1909, Ack decided he wanted a pardon. He claimed the evidence had been
tampered with before it reached the state supreme court and that hurt his chances for an
appeal. By this point, no one listened to him.

He made the papers again when he escaped from prison in 1915. He scaled the walls of the
prison and disappeared into memory. It is not known if he was ever apprehended, or what
happened to him. He doesn’t appear on census records or in the newspapers after this date.
He either died during his flight, or changed his name, in which case his whereabouts will
never be known.

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The Trial of Madeleine Smith - Historic Mysteries

March 5, 2011 historicmysteries.com

Did she or didn't she?

The question is still debated in Great Britain. Did Madeleine Smith kill
her lover Emile L'Angelier on the night of March 23, 1857?

Madeleine came from a wealthy Glasgow family and, as such, was
expected to move within that social class and certainly not to
associate with the poor working-classes that Emile inhabited.

But Madeleine carried on a secret relationship with Emile for two
years, writing to Emile in passionate language that scandalized
Victorian Scotland and by having clandestine meetings with him at her
bedroom window while her family slept.

Her father, not knowing of the relationship, found a suitable man for
Madeleine to marry. Madeleine wrote to Emile breaking off their
relationship and asking for the return of her letters. Emile refused and
threatened to show the letters to her father, which most likely would have meant her family disowning her
and throwing her out of the house. Madeleine begged Emile not to expose their relationship. She vowed
to keep on seeing Emile, so she juggled both Emile and her fiance.

Doug MacGowan's book “The Strange Affair of Madeleine Smith” on Amazon.

At this time Madeleine started purchasing arsenic. She later claimed to use it as a cosmetic for her
complexion. Perhaps coincidentally, Emile started suffering from crippling stomach maladies. The
episode on March 23rd was serious enough that he died.

The coroner determined that Emile had died from arsenic poisoning. The authorities discovered
Madeleine's letters and evidence of her arsenic purchases and arrested her soon after Emile's death.

The press and populace flocked to what would be called the “trial of the century.” Both sides argued
brilliantly, but Madeleine went free due to the fact that, although the circumstantial evidence was heavily
against her, the prosecution could not prove that Madeleine and Emile had met during the weeks leading
up to his death.

She was free, but Glasgow society wanted nothing to do with her. She moved to England and, later, to
America.

Did she or didn't she? The mystery lives on.

SOURCES:

The Strange Affair of Madeleine Smith: Victorian Scotland's Trial of the Century by Douglas MacGowan
Murder and Morality in Victorian Britain: The Story of Madeleine Smith by Eleanor Gordon & Gwyneth

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Madeleine Smith

The unexplained mystery of Granger Taylor

http://coolinterestingstuff.com/the-unexplained-mysterv-of-granger-taylor

A young man, Granger Taylor was a mechanical genius that was self-taught. He dropped out of school
in the eighth grade, however, at the age of only fourteen he built a one-cylinder automobile which is
now on display the Duncan Forest Museum along with a steam locomotive that he hauled out of the
woods and restored. At age seventeen he overhauled a bulldozer that no one else could repair. He built
a replica of a World War II fighter plane that was snatched-up by a collector for $20,000.

Granger always wondered how Flying Saucer were powered. He built his own out of two satellite
dishes, one top and one bottom, as an inspiration. His “flying saucer” became a home-away-from-home
with couch, TV and a woodstove. He would often sleep in his “space craft”.

He later said he was in contact with extraterrestrials that were going to show him how their technology
works. He told everyone he was going for a trip on an alien space ship. Then one night in November of
1980 he disappeared and left a note for his family. To this day, despite an RCMP investigation, he has
never been found, nor have they found any possible clues as to his whereabouts.

The Granger Affair is certainly a great Canadian mystery. Surely a man of his obvious mechanical
talents would not go unnoticed had he simply slipped away in the night. After a four year investigation
authorities haven’t a single lead to where he might be.

The evidence

Granger Taylor’s Flying Saucer

Mysterious Canada, R.J. Colombo, 1988

The Granger Taylor Flying Saucer rests on stilts in the backyard of tire Taylor home at Duncan on
Vancouver Island. It is a mute memorial to its builder, young Granger Taylor.

“He built his spaceship out of two satellite receiving dishes and outfitted it with a television, a couch,
and a wood-burning stove. He became obsessed with finding out how flying saucers were powered,
spending hours sitting in the ship thinking and often sleeping there,” wrote Douglas Curran in his book:
In Advance of the Landing: Folk Concepts of Outer Space ( 1985).

Then one November night in 1980 Granger Taylor simply disappeared.

He left behind a yard strewn with old tractors; machine engines, vintage automobiles, a bulldozer, as
well as a note which read:

Dear Mother and Father, I have gone away to walk aboard an alien ship, as recurring dreams assured a
42 month interstellar voyage to explore the vast universe, then return. I am leaving behind all my
possessions to you as I will no longer require the use of any. Please use the instructions in my will as a
guide to help. Love, Granger.

The forty-two months were up in May 1984 and his parents, Jim and Grace Taylor, leave the back door
unlocked in case their son shows up. But he never has.

Granger Taylor left school in the eighth grade and found work as a mechanic’s helper, showing a flair
for repairing machinery. At the age of fourteen he built a one -cylinder car which is on display at the
Duncan Forest Museum. He constructed a replica of a World War II fighter plane, and he left behind his
silver-and-red flying saucer.

He told a friend a month before he disappeared that he was in mental contact with someone from
another galaxy and that he was in receipt of an invitation to go on a trip through the Solar System.

“On the night that Granger disappeared, ” wrote Curran, ” a storm struck the central part of Vancouver
Island. Hurricane winds were reported and electrical power was knocked out. Granger vanished, along
with his blue pick-up truck.

“After four years of ‘exhaustive checks’ of hospital, passport, employment, and vehicle records, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police have not uncovered a single clue as to the whereabouts of Granger
Taylor. ‘I can hardly believe Granger’s off in a spaceship, ‘his father said. ‘But if there is a flying object
out there, he’s the one to find it.’ ”

The very strange case of Christine and Walter Collins

The missing boy

The very strange case of Christine and Walter Collins

On a very sunny afternoon on 10th March 1928, 9-year-old Walter Collins mysteriously
disappeared after his mother, Christine, a telephone operator, gave him a dime to spend on
admission to the theater near their Mt. Washington area home.

The nation rallied behind the grieving mother and her missing boy while the local police
dragged nearby Lincoln Park lake and launched a national campaign to find Walter.

His apparent kidnapping struck a chord in a city still traumatized by a vicious crime only three
months earlier. In that case, 12-year-old Marion Parker was kidnapped for ransom by a
psychopath named William “the Fox” Hickman, who shoved her dismembered body from his
car just before being captured.

Countless tips on Walter’s location led to dead-ends. He was allegedly spotted as far north as
San Francisco and Oakland. One reported sighting was at a Glendale gas station in the back
seat of a car, wrapped in newspaper with only his head showing. The station owner described
the driver as a “foreign-looking man, probably an Italian,” accompanied by a woman.

The boy’s father, Walter J.S. Collins, who was serving time in prison for robbery, believed that
former inmates out for revenge against him may have kidnapped his son, though there were
no witnesses and no proof that that had occurred.

MSSNGOTFOIMX

Christine Collins and her “son” reunited

Police continued their search until August, when a boy claiming to be Walter turned himself in
to Illinois authorities. Christine Collins paid $70 in travel expenses so the boy could return to
Los Angeles.

When he arrived, however, Collins said that although he resembled Walter, the boy was not
her son.

‘You Are ... a Fool’

However, the Los Angeles Police Department-under terrific pressure to declare the case
happily closed-refused to believe that the boy wasn’t Walter, whatever the mother said.

Emotionally drained, Collins caved in to the cops’ suggestion that she “try the boy out,” and
took him into her home.

But after three weeks of attempting to reconcile herself to the convenient fiction, Collins
returned him to the police.

STU. MSSNG

Armed with proof in the form of her son’s dental records and a troop of friends who agreed
that the boy wasn’t Walter, Collins still failed to convince LAPD Capt. J.J. Jones, who
investigated the kidnapping, that the boy was an impostor.

“What are you trying to do, make fools out of us all? Or are you trying to shirk your duty as a
mother and have the state provide for your son? You are the most cruel-hearted woman I’ve
ever known. You are a . . . fool!” Jones allegedly told Collins.

Resolved to bend her to his will-and the department’s convenience-Jones had the distraught
mother committed to Los Angeles County General Hospital’s psychiatric ward for evaluation.

While she spent five days in the hospital, Jones extracted the truth from the faux Walter.

The boy from Illinois confessed that he actually was 1 2-year-old Arthur Hutchins of Iowa. After
his mother died, he had gone to live an isolated new life with his cold fish of a father and a
malicious stepmother, he said. He ran away, hitchhiking around the country and working odd
jobs.

While stopped at an Illinois roadside cafe, Arthur said, he listened to a diner tell him how
much he resembled the kidnapped boy from Los Angeles, whose picture had appeared in
newspapers nationwide. Arthur quickly seized on an opportunity to see Hollywood, turned
himself in to authorities and carried out the charade by assuming the identity of the missing
boy.

For Collins, however, there was more heartache and trouble to come.

Released from the hospital, she filed a false-imprisonment complaint against the city, Police
Chief James Davis and Jones.

With the heat on the department, Jones, who also was being pressured to help solve a grisly
murder mystery, insisted that Walter had been one of the victims of Gordon Stewart Northcott
and his mother, who had recently been charged with beheading a youth, one of 11 children
they sexually assaulted and murdered in Riverside County.

But Collins refused to believe it, especially because her son’s body was never found on the
Northcotts’ chicken ranch in Wineville, now Mira Loma.

EDOUARD BEAUPRE - THE WILLOW BUNCH GIANT

BY J TITHONUS PEDNAUD

http://www.thehumanmarvels.com/the-willow-bunch-giant-circus-freak/

Edouard Beaupre was born on January 9, 1 881 in the tiny Saskatchewan parish of Willow
Bunch. He was the first child to be baptized in Willow Bunch, and he would become its most
famous son.

The eldest of 20 children, Edouard was the only sibling to display abnormal size. Although he
born in perfect proportion, by the age of 1 7 Edouard stood over 7 feet tall and he showed no
signs of stopping. His dramatic and uncontrolled growth caused excruciating pain but by all
reports he was touted as a man of gentle nature and quiet spirit - despite his monstrous
appearance. In his youth Edouard, was known to be a fine horseman and he dreamt of life as
a cowboy but after being disfigured from a horse kick to the face, and at the urging of friends
and family, he began exhibiting himself in order to support his family. Under the guidance of a
Metis status promoter, Andre Gaudry, Edouard Beaupre toured Canada and eventually much

of the United States.

Unlike many giants, who were often frail and sickly, Edouard was robust and possessed
incredible strength. Rather than simply exhibit himself as a giant freak of nature the giant
Edouard Beaupre instead promoted himself as a strongman without equal. Ironically, the
signature stunt of the former horseman was to lift a horse onto his shoulders - a stunt that
stunned spectators and fellow strongmen.

On March 25, 1901, while in Montreal, Quebec., Edouard wrestled Louis Cyr, a man still often
considered to be the strongest man in history. The match was very short, with Cyr easily
winning the match, but by this point Edouard Beaupre was being ravaged by tuberculosis,
was worn down by life on the road and was weakened by a body the refused to stop growing.

On July 3, 1 904, while on tour with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, Beaupre collapsed
following a performance at the Louisiana Purchase exposition in St Louis. As the result of a
massive pulmonary haemorrhage, the mighty Willow Bunch Giant was dead at the age of 23.
Shortly before passing, the Giant asked for a glass of water, proclaimed that he was dying
and lamented on how it was sad to die so young and so far away from dear parents.

At the time of his death Edouard Beaupre was 8 feet 3 inches tall. At the St. Louis fairgrounds
Emergency Hospital, one Dr. R.B.H. Gradwohl performed an autopsy at the at the St. Louis
fairgrounds Emergency Hospital and discovered that a pituitary gland tumour was the likely
cause of Edouard’s enormous statue.

The corpse was then sent to a local undertaker, Eberle and Keyes, to be embalmed and
prepared for interment. The remains were to be returned to Willow Bunch by William Burke,
the circus manager, but he balked at the effort required and the shipping costs. Burke instead
convinced the Beaupre family to bury Edouard honourably in St. Louis - in order to spare
everyone the expenses involved. The family agreed and believed that the funeral took place,
but instead Burke simply skipped town and left the cadaver unclaimed and the undertaker
unpaid.

In an effort to recoup their expenses the funeral home opted to put the body of Edouard on
display in a store window on Broadway, near Market Street, for profit.

Authorities demanded that the body of Edouard be removed. The giant corpse was was then
sold to some enterprising soul and it later found its way back to Quebec where it was placed
on display in the lobby of the Eden Museum, next to the National Monument on St-Laurent
Street.

The body cause so much pedestrian traffic that the municipal authorities eventually
demanded that it be removed.

In the early spring of 1907, children found Edouard’s corpse in a shed at Montreal’s Bellerive
Park, likely abandoned there by some unscrupulous circus or curiosities promoter. A Doctor
was called and the body of The Willow Bunch Giant was soon in the possession of Dr. Louis
Napoleon Delorme, professor at the Montreal University. Rather than interrthe remains or
properly lay Edouard Beaupre to rest, Delorme instead mummified the remains and placed
them again on display for the Faculty of Medicine behind glass.

Finally, in the 1970’s, Ovila Lesperance, nephew of Edouard Beaupre began petitioning for
Montreal University to release the remains to the descendants of The Willow Bunch Giant. In
1989, the University agreed to cremate the remains and finally on July 7, 1990 Edouard
Beaupre was buried honourably in Willow Bunch at the feet of a life-sized statue dedicated to
his remarkable spirit.

For 85 years, the Willow Bunch Giant roamed the earth. Today he is home, reunited with the
family he loved so dearly.

For more information on the life of Edouard Beaupre, I highly recommend the Anatomy of
Edouard Beaupre by Sarah Kathryn York.

The Witches of Dogtown historyofmassachusetts.org

Posted onJune 21, 2012byRebecca Beatrice Brooks

Dogtown is a ghost town, once a former parish of Gloucester, that is rumored to
have been overrun by dogs, vagabonds and suspected witches in the 1800s. This
rocky, highland area was once home to about 80 families who settled there in the
early 1600s in order to escape pirate and Native-American attacks that plagued
other areas of Gloucester.

As the threat of pirates, coastal bombardments and raids disappeared after the
Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, most of the families abandoned their
shanties and small rustic homes there and resettled along the harbor.

The empty village, which was known as the Commons or
the Commons Settlement at the time, quickly began to
attract outcasts and drifters who squatted in the
abandoned homes. According to the book “Dogtown:
Death and Enchantment in a New England Ghost Town” it
was during this time that the village acquired its name
“Dogtown,” either from the plethora of dogs some of the
village women used for protection or from the low-level
inhabitants it attracted:

“In the 1890s, the area and its named piqued the
interest of Gloucester Daily Times editor Charles E.

Mann, who documented its history and interviewed
‘sweet-faced old ladies’ and ‘men with whitened locks’
to produce a slender little volume titled In the Heart of Cape Ann or the
Story of Dogtown. ‘The name Dogtown,’ Mann wrote, ‘...came from the
canines kept by the so-called ‘widows' of the place, when the evil days
came that saw their natural protectors either in their graves or buried
beneath the ocean. ’ But other than this explanation there are no stories
about dogs in this place. What changed the Commons Settlement to
Dogtown was the people: women who dressed like men, men who did
housework, alleged witches, and former slaves, who lived, according to
what Roger W. Babson called ‘Gypsy Ways.

Some of these inhabitants were women, such as Luce George, Molly Stevens,
Judy Rhines, Peg Wasson, Thomazine “Tammy” Younger and Molly Jacobs, who
had long been suspected of witchcraft. Thomazine “Tammy” Younger, was known
as the Queen of the Witches, and lived in a little house on Fox Hill, near Alewife

Entrance to Dogtown
Common on Cherry Street

Brook, which is now Cherry Street, where
she entertained “buccaneers and lawless
men,” made rum and butter, held card
games and read fortunes. She supported
herself by selling butter and begging for fish
at the harbor. Tammy allegedly bewitched
local Oxen carrying supplies over the bridge
near her house by commanding them not to
move until their owners paid her a toll. It is
rumored that her aunt, Luce George, as well
as Peg Wasson, cursed piles of wood on
Illustration from Charles Mann’s ‘ In the Heart of passing Carts not to Stay On the Cart Unless
Cape Anne, Or the Story of Dogtown” of portjon 0 f the wood was given to them.

Peg Wasson, according to a New York Times article about Dogtown published in
1921 , had once been accused of flying around on a broomstick and did so one
day, disguised as a black crow, over a camp of soldiers, who shot the crow down
with a silver sleeve button fired from a gun, after regular bullets failed to do the job.
At the same time, legend has it, Wasson fell down at home with an injured leg from
which a doctor extracted an identical silver button.

It was never officially proven that Tammy or any of the
other village women were in fact witches, as East writes in
“Dogtown: Death and Enchantment in a New England
Ghost Town”:

“Indeed, there were two types of women [primarily]
who were referred to as witches in eighteenth and
early nineteenth-century America: the midwife/folk
healer and the social outcast, who was often
destitute, accused of licentiousness and of
possessing unusual, if not supernatural, power... And
while most of Dogtown 's women were outcasts, some
were also legitimate healers. ”

Yet, the New York Times article attributes the large number of lost hikers in
Dogtown to the alleged witches’ evil power and states that occasionally a distinct
cackle can be heard coming from the woods.

A brutal murder of a young teacher that occurred in Dogtown in 1984 didn’t help
the town’s reputation any and has led to further speculation that evil spirits reside
there.

Cellar hole #17 on Dogtown
road

By 1839, the witches of Dogtown and other inhabitants eventually died, moved
away or were removed and placed in the poor house in Gloucester, and the
abandoned village was later turned into a park. Although the original homes are
long since gone, the cellars of these homes still remain and are marked by
boulders inscribed with the former house numbers.

Dogtown

Sources:

“Dogtown: Death and Enchantment in a New England Ghost Town”;
Elyssa East

The Outlook; “The Spectator”; Volume 99; September - December 1911
Gloucester Times; A Literary Walk Through Dogtown;
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/local/x546182755/A-literary-walk-
through-Dogtown

New York Times; Haunt of Witches and Smugglers; Charles J.

Rosebault; October 23, 1921:

http.V/query.nytimes. com/gst/abstract. html?

res=F2061 5F9385A 1B7A93C1AB178BD95F458285F9

“In the Heart of Cape Ann, or The Story of Dogtown”; Charles E. Mann;

1896

Dogtown, Gloucester, Massachusetts:
http://www. thedacrons. com/eric/dogtown/index.php

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The most stupid weapons used in robberies include a banana
and even a THUMB

mirror.co.uk

A banana, a sausage, even a finger and thumb... all could be credible weapons in a hold-up.

But Rory Seager, 1 8, got a suspended jail term after trying to rob a bookies with - a tin of
pilchards.

Seager, of Ilford, Essex, put the can in a bin bag and said it was a bomb.

Central News/ Google Maps /John West

Not alone: Rory Seager tried to hold up
William Hill with a tin of pilchards

When a cashier at his local William Hill
escaped to a secure room, he hurled
the tin across the shop and fled.

But he’s not the first crook with a
bizarre weapon of choice...

Spud U Nick

Getty

A spud: This
is NOT a
weapon

A would-be
bandit was
arrested in
Providence,
Rhode
Island, after
trying to rob
not one, but
two, shops
armed with

a potato.

Gary Deming, 34, was caught last April after pretending the veg was a gun at a dry cleaners
and a convenience store, where the manager chased him off with a more effective weapon -
a baseball bat.

Palm balmy

Just palmy: George Olivieri tried to rob a shop with a palm tree

George Olivieri, 40, held up a Florida convenience store by jabbing a palm tree frond towards

George Olivieri tried to rob a shop with a palm tree

the assistant and demanding cash, with
his T-shirt pulled over his head as a
disguise.

He was foiled by a quick-thinking
customer who grabbed a nearby stool
and shoved him out the door with it
during the 2008 incident.

The Comeback Kid

He'll be

back:

Robber

tried to

pretend

Dorling Kindersley

boomerang was a gun

It could only happen in Australia. Trying to rob a petrol station with a boomerang, that is.

A desperate 31 -year-old walked into a Shell garage brandishing the children’s toy, but lost his
nerve and left empty-handed.

He was arrested shortly afterwards and given a notice of public nuisance.

Presumably they feared he might come back again...

Stir crazy

Another bungling robber tried holding up a bank in Poland with a teaspoon.

The crook held the spoon to the neck of a cashier in 2009, pretending it was a knife.

He eventually fled without a single zloty - although he did cause quite a stir in the process.

Easy marker

Hmmm: Is this the world’s worst disguise

Crooks Matthew McNelly and Joey Miller were easy to spot when cops caught up with them

ling a flat they’d drawn masks on their
marker.

A MacDonalds bag: Again, not a weapon

Daniel Hegwood, 33, stormed into a
California bank with two McDonalds apple
pies in a bag, claiming it was a bomb

Staff handed over a wedge of cash and
police discovered the ruse when he was
later arrested.

Trigger finger

Steven King, 30, used the old finger-and-
thumb in the pocket trick to pretend he
had a gun when holding up a California

bank in 1997.

Unfortunately he failed to keep his hand in his pocket... which sort of gave the game away.

Invisible gunman

Splash

in Iowa, USA, in 2009.

As a disguise while rob
faces -with permanent

Apple lie

Channel 4

Invisable man

Invisible man: No, he does not exist

One hapless crook thought he could get away with the perfect
robbery - after paying a “wizard" £290 to make him invisible.

But it all went wrong when he walked into the bank in Tehran,
Iran, and started snatching cash out of the hands of customers.

They quickly over-powered him and he was arrested.

He told a court in 2013: “I understand now what a big trick was
played on me.”

But he did stay invisible after a fashion - the court never released
his name.

Robbers' haunt

Spooked: A ghost tried to rob an off licence in Alambama
Scaring staff to hand over cash is usually the general idea.

Two Israeli boys had been watching too
many crime movies when they tried to
rob a Tel Aviv bank in December last
year shouting: “This is a hold-up”.

Aged just 12 and 13, they had toy M-16
rifles which terrified bank staff thought
were real guns.

Sky News

But the pair got cold feet at the last
minute and fled before they grabbed a
single banknote.

Youtube

Toy boys: Tel Aviv attempted robbery
by two children with fake rifles

But one American took it literally when
he tried to rob an off-licence dressed as
a ghost.

CCTV shows him in a sheet complete
with eye holes running through an
Alabama store in October 2013.

But after all that he left empty-
handed... maybe he got spooked.

Toy boy gang

Veggie scary 'un

Courgette: For clarification, this is not a
gun

New York crook Walter Strong didn’t
have a gun for his hold up - but he did
have a courgette in his pocket to
improvise as a gun.

He escaped with £1,350 - until he
showed the “weapon” to a neighbour,
who called police. He was arrested but
managed to escape three times before
finally being jailed.

Getty

Fruit shooter

A real weapon: Robbery in Philadelphia by a man with a banana in his pocket

This robber had the ultimate cheek.

He even stole his “weapon" from the
shop he was trying to rob.

CCTV from September last year shows
the young crook cycling up to a
Philadelphia grocery store and parking
his bike for a getaway.

He grabs a banana off the shelf and
sticks it in his pocket. Staff were fooled
that it was a gun and he escaped with
cash and cigarettes.

Uncollared

Awwww: A Chihuahua, definitely not a
weapon

Finally, a bandit in Tuscon, Arizona
decided to take man’s best friend along
to a stick-up.

Cops released CCTV footage after he
calmly robbed a bank while carrying his
pet chihuahua.

He made off with his loot and his pet in
a basket. Police never found him.

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Youtube

homestead.com

INTRODUCTION

On 8 August 1968 the following letter from a Mr A.E. Whiteland, of Saxmundham, Suffolk was
published in the Daily Mirror.

My mother has often told the following story over the years and, as she is eighty-four, I would
like to find out for her who these mystery men were and what they were doing.

This is the story. It was about the middle of World War One and on a weekday. Mother was
living at Aldeburgh, Suffolk. She had gone upstairs just before dinner, opened the casement
window and looked out to see who might be on the road.

Having looked up and down and noticed there was no one in sight, she was about to step
back when something urged her to look again.

A little above the level of the house eight to twelve men appeared on what seemed to be a
round platform with a handrail around it. This they were gripping tightly.

She could see them so cleaily. They were wearing blue uniforms and little round hats, not
unlike sailors'.

She heard no sound from the machine as it came off the marshes. It turned a bit and went
over the railway yard to disappear behind some houses.

Have you any explanation for this?

To this the letters editor added the comment: Sorry, friend, can't oblige. Sounds a bit of a
hovercrafty tale to us!

On 17 August two letters appeared in the Daily Mirror suggesting that what was seen was an
observation car lowered from an airship, although Mrs Whiteland had not reported seeing or
hearing an airship.

to read these letters.

In the following correspondence I have tried to reproduce the letters, in easily readable form,
but without editing them to correct grammar, spelling, etc. People were much more likely to
communicate by letter than by telephone in the 1960s than they do now, and they often did
not have the time to correct and rewrite.

CARL GROVE'S CORRESPONDENCE

At that time, Carl Grove was actively interested in UFO reports and he wrote to Mr Whiteland
with a list of questions. His letter, dated 14 August 1968 and Mr Whiteland's reply, dated 19
August 1968, are as follows:

Dear Mr Whiteland,

I saw your letter published in the Daily Mirror of Thursday, 8 August, and, as I am very
interested in such reports, I have asked "Live Letters" to kindly send this on to you.

I wonder if you might send me a somewhat more detailed account of the incident, and if
your mother might answer the following questions and provide additional information with
regard to these points:

1. Would you please provide a drawing/drawings of the object, with as much detail as
possible, and showing its size.*

2. Would you please provide a drawing/drawings of one of the men.

3. Would you please provide a rough sketch map of the area, indicating your mother's
position and the object's flight path, etc. (+ scale.)

4. Did the men appear quite normal in facial appearance? And in size?

5. How fast was the object moving, as compared with a car or a man?

6. How high was the object above the ground?

7. Were the men doing anything? What were they looking at?

8. What was it that "urged" your mother to look again out of the window?

9. What were your mother's feelings as she watched the object?

10. About how long was it visible? At what time was it first seen?

11. What did your mother think it might be? What was it made of?

12. Did anyone else in the area see anything unusual during World War One? (Or in that
general period.)

13. Lastly, any other information relating to the sighting of the object or to anything taking
place at that time that was at all out of the ordinary would be much appreciated.

*Note: showing size by comparison with a common object such as a car.

I realise that answering these questions will not be too easy, and I hope I haven't caused
you or your mother great inconvenience. Any other information relating to points I have not
covered will be very helpful.

Yours sincerely,

C. Grove

MrWhiteland replied in a letter dated 19 August 1968:

Saxmundham

Suffolk

19/8/68

Mr C. Grove

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your letter via "Daily Mirror", and I will give you as much of the details as I
can. My Mother has answered your questions as I put them to her.

1. Drawing enclosed. 2/4 Drawing of a man, "they were ordinary men." Had they beards or
moustaches I asked. "I was looking at them and not thinking about their faces so much."

What about the uniform, was it like a tunic tight up to the neck or not. "I'm not sure, there they
were but somehow it might not have been a dark blue uniform, a little bit lighter (grey I said)
yes maybe a bit grey in it. The hats were pulled on like a sailor, with no rim just a band and
soft top.

5. "It might have been going as fast as a man can run," when asked how quickly it moved.

6. 30 ft not much more as she said "it seems to be just higher than the telegraph wires and
when it turned and went towards the station yard, I did think it would hit the shed roof or side
(this was the cart shed ground floor and first floor with the top of ridge 25 ft or so above road
level).

7. The men were looking straight out as all were clustered around the platform, and "could
well have been looking for anything".

8. Mother had made the beds up and dusted the front bedroom she was in, had looked out,
seen no one and was on the point of going downstairs. "It was one of those things you look
again, hoping just to see someone or something moving", no one was either side as they
were out at work, and there had been no one to talk to apart from the younger sister than
myself , who Mother thinks I had gone to school with my older sisters. At that time as she said
I went off to school at 3% years (I was born 1910). She don't quite know what made her take
another look, but there it was coming along from the marshes on her right, straight along the
road "not wobbling" and then right in front of her it turned sharp right and went between the
back of the Railway Hotel and the cart shed with a room above it (about 20 ft - 25 ft between),
over the top of the other cart shed mentioned over the railway which had on the railings of the
station platform a large printed sign about 8' long, blue background with white letters
ALDEBURGH. This may have been spotted by them and that is why they turned off so sharp
instead of going along the road. There was a camp for soldiers about 300 yds further along,
with trees around it, this might also have been the reason.

9. "Had no real feelings, was more thinking about how could it move without an engine as
no sound was heard, I looked up in the sky to see if anything was holding it up. - Couldn't see
anyone kneeling between the men to work it, and watched it go for a long while."

10. "Oh! about three or four minutes, maybe longer, it seemed a good while but it went
straight away from me into the distance till the trees or houses hid it." "This was about 12
A.M. and a bright day," what time of the year "I don’t know must have been around summer
time I know it was a nice day and bright. I can see them now, how they came along and

turned straight for here." (Mother has lived in this same house, about 59 years).

1 1 . "Thought it was something to do with Zeppelins, but as no rope or anything was to be
seen or heard, was quite puzzled." Did mention it to my Father when he came home that
night and next day to a neighbour, both said that the Germans were supposed to have people
looking round from Zeppelins, and as no one else ever spoke or mentioned anything it was
only talked of when different happenings were read over the times, that Mother would tell of
what she did see.

12/13. "Never did hear of anything like it or know of other people seeing it, or anything else
around here." There were plenty of soldiers about, why didn't one of them see it, "I don't know
why perhaps they didn’t believe them."

A Mr Graham wrote to me, and said his Mother did live at Aldringham Fen, about 1!4 miles
(North) and did see around this time during the War, "an airship lower an observation device

which was suspended some hundreds of feet below it." His address is - — , Ramsbury,

Wilts.

Also a Mr Winslow of South Lambeth, WC8, gave an interesting story about the platforms
suspended beneath the baskets carried by airships, how they carried several men for
accurate placing of the small bombs in use at that time and he with others did bury a crew at
Harrow Billericay, and some came down in the County of Hertfordshire.

Now I'm not much good at drawing so you will have to excuse my sketches but I think you
can understand what I want to say.

Hoping this will be of use to you,

Yours sincerely,

A.E. Whiteland

to read Carl Grove's letter to Mr Graham and Mr Graham's reply.

for a note on Mr Whiteland's reference to "Harrow Billericay in the above letter.

Mr Whiteland's drawing accompanying the above letter

Carl Grove replied promptly to this letter, as he was determined to resolve the airship
question. In a letter dated 20 August 1968, he wrote:

Pinner

Middx

20 AUG 1968

Dear Mr Whiteland,

Thank you very much for your kind reply to my letter, and for the interesting information
about your mother's observation.

Several people have now suggested that the object was an observation platform lowered
from an airship. I wonder if your mother might care to comment on the idea: was it a very
cloudy day, and would your mother have seen an airship had there been one connected with
the object? This is, of course, the vital question.

I am sending details of the report to an authority on aviation history who is also interested
in such incidents. I shall also get in touch with Mr Graham, whose address you gave me.

From what you have already told me I am doubtful that the "airship" answer is the correct
one, but of course it is essential to double check in such cases. I hope your mother will not
mind being bothered again in this way!

I shall let you know if I hear anything relevant.

Yours sincerely
C. GROVE

P.S. Thank you again for the letter & the very detailed and helpful map. -- C.G.

Mr Whiteland replied in a letter dated 22 August 1968:

Saxmundham

Suffolk

22/8/68

Dear Mr Grove,

Having read your letter of the 20th, and thank you for writing in answer to my letter. I think
it will be very interesting to find out if my mother was seeing close up, one of those platforms
that have been mentioned, and no one else can be alive or set down on paper, etc; such a
happening in this time.

Now to your query over sky condition, Mother told me that it was "a bright day" and did look
right up in the sky to see if "anything was supporting the men and platform" but could not see
anything at all and also looked up when they had gone from sight in the trees - houses,
amount of cloud (cannot say). Now a cable or rope to support a weight like this, 8-12 men
plus the platform would be at least about 1% in, or more which ever was used. This could not
be overlooked, and each time I've questioned about the rope the answer is definitely no rope
at all. This was the fact, that made me write to the "Mirror" after all this long while, as it
puzzled my way of thinking things out what kept it up.

Had there been an airship, it should have been in advance of the object as one can only
drag anything supported by a line in the direction you are going. Also there is the method that
these men had to control their platform, how could they do a right handed 90° turn, which

Mother saw before her eyes.

If I can help with any more questions you like to raise in the future, then do drop me a line.
When I wrote to the "Daily Mirror", I did in fact expect a reply direct from them as the general
knowledge they have gathered in over the years, I felt sure would have given me the answer.
But it seems as though they were at a loss to come out with a clear reply covering this non-
supported platform with the persons on it.

By the way, the Zeppelin that Mr Graham wrote to me in his letter did meet its end at 3
A.M. in the morning, and that it was a bright moonlight night, (checked up) So the one with a
dangling rope and basket was at another time, that his mother did see.

Yours sincerely,

A.E. Whiteland

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There Are Communities of People Who Call Themselves

Vampires smithsonianmag.com

"Their self-described nature begins to manifest around or just after puberty"

By Marissa Fessenden

"They are not easy to find, but when you do track them down, they can be quite friendly,"
writes John Edgar Browning, of the Georgia Institute of Technology for Discover Magazine’s
The Crux blog. He's writing about his study subjects — real-life vampires.

These communities of people live all over the world, from New Orleans to Russia to South
Africa, and the reason they're friendly is that they aren’t truly the supernatural bloodsuckers of
legends. They don’t rise from the dead to feed on the living. They aren’t even people who
others have accused of being vampires, like the individuals throughout history whose bodies
were exhumed and desecrated because someone thought they were undead.

But they do consume blood. Browning writes:

Their self-described nature begins to manifest around or just after puberty. It
derives, according to them, from the lack of subtle energies their bodies produce -
energies other people take for granted. That’s the general consensus anyway. It’s
a condition they claim to be unable to change. So, they embrace it.

Vampirism been studied before, in the form of clinical vampirism or Renfield’s syndrome, but
hasn’t been recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the
official psychiatric reference. Browning describes something different. He has visited
communities in New Orleans and Buffalo to document and understand what being a modern
day, real vampire means. Importantly, he notes that these communities generally preform
safe blood-letting rituals with willing donors.

A real vampire community has lived in New Orleans since the early to mid 1970s. Browning
writes that he has met about 35 people there, ranging in age from 18 to 50. Some consume
human or animal blood; some claim to absorb psychic energy; and some do both. They also
eat regular food. Browning writes in Palgrave Communications :

Moreover, should they refrain from feeding on blood or energy, they attest to
feeling weak and experiencing an overall diminished health. What real vampirism
is not, however, is the sole adoption of Gothic dress and prosthetic fangs for
aesthetic purposes, as though real vampirism were merely a practice or fad that
one might adopt one day and discard the next. Such a description denotes an
entirely different class of people, which the real vampire community has termed
“lifestylers”. To real vampires, Gothic or dark clothing and fangs are, as I will
explain in more detail later, merely supplementary identificatory markers of, or
hegemonic modes of group expression for, their inherent condition (much in the
same way that same-sex desire, for example, is categorically distinct from, and in

no way dependent on, the myriad cultural practices of the gay community).

Unsurprisingly, the rise of the internet has fostered the growth of the real-vampire community.
But Browning notes that the people he talked to were not "obsessed" with vampires as
depicted in popular media. "In fact, the real vampire community in general seems to have
appropriated very few of the trappings mainstream culture attaches to creatures of the night,"
he writes.

But why study real vampires? Browning explains that they make up a real and rich
subculture, worthy of study. Even if the idea seems strange, it’s one example of a group of
people redefining normal for themselves. Studying real vampires is also "the study of self-
empowerment."

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These Soviet Concept Vehicles Are Clearly From An Alternate
Universe

io9.com

These Soviet Concept Vehicles Are Clearly From An Alternate Universe

These vehicle designs look like they were made for a Batman movie, or maybe a space
adventure. They're the direct result of the futurist bent in Soviet design. And some of them are
just insane. We've got a gallery.

GAZ-A-Aero, designed by Alexei Nikitin Osipovich, 1934

j amlib)

I Pobeda Sport, 1950

Cyclops-like ZIS-112 with a
le headlamp and an
experimental 6005 cc
engine, that could run the
car with 126 mph (204 kmh)
in 1951

1 Reply

flubuk

ProfileFollow
flubukVincze Miklos
6/30/14 4:21pm

Don't show New York's mayor
or these things will be official
in days!

4Reply

WTOEXPOfri

* » v

Big AND small.

816Reply
Chip Overclock®

ProfileFollow

Chip Overclock®Vincze Miklos
6/30/14 4:02pm

I think that MZKT-7919 is a copy
of the Herkimer Battle Jitney.

18Reply

Atomic Samurai Robot

ProfileFollow

Atomic Samurai RobotVincze
Miklos

6/30/14 4:19pm

The US also had "fighter
plane" with wheels concept
cars in that era. Same with
monorails. The taxi was cool.

mxyzptlk

ProfileFollow
mxyzptlkVincze Miklos
6/30/14 4:36pm

This looks like it could be an early H.R. Giger concept car.

8Reply

lorq

ProfileFollow
lorqVincze Miklos
6/30/14 4:56pm

Holy hell, these are *sweet*
Another great gallery from
V.M.

1 Reply

imaginaryfriend

Wrecksit

mwhite66

Jwend392

ProfileFollow
Jwend392Vincze Miklos
6/30/14 5:22pm

So, when is this fucker going to
be in SpinTires?

28Reply

MrWorf

poetdesmond dave-io9

ProfileFollow
MrWorfVincze Miklos
6/30/14 5:58pm

The Moskvitch G2 looks alot like the
1948 Timbs Special:

14Reply

Phaeton99

ProfileFollow
Phaeton99Vincze Miklos

6/30/14 6:13pm

I have often wondered if this is a direction worth reviving, especially given advances in
material science.

4Reply

DWDavis

flubuk

f f

DWDavisVincze Miklos
6/30/14 7:11pm

I'm impressed. Takes a
true
gift for
one

Jwend392

mrworfSIO

society to
create that
much ugly.

4Reply

Cestrumnocturnl

ProfileFollow

mxyzptlk

Cestrum Nocturnum ProfileFollow

Cestrumnocturnl Vincze Miklos

6/30/14 7:49pm

The loco-SUV was meant to be some kind of rolling power station for the military. They never
actually got it to move.

http://www.neoseeker.eom/forums/1 8/tl 59...
2Reply

big-smelly CRX

ProfileFollow

CRXVincze Miklos
6/30/14 8:28pm

I think Valis must have been beaming a few of these into PK Dick's
subconscious. Especially the first few....

2Reply

wyldemusick David Alexander McDonald

ProfileFollow

David Alexander McDonaldVincze Miklos
6/30/14 8:35pm

When did Gerry Anderson's design team defect?!

6Reply

AshaLil AshaLil

ProfileFollow

AshaLilVincze Miklos
6/30/14 9:01pm

■

Now THAT is your zombie apocalypse survival vehicle. It is probably shit on fuel,
but it could definitely take an attack from a massive mob of zombies.

6Reply

Bee-Rad-from-Malee-Bu Bee-Rad

ProfileFollow

Bee-RadVincze Miklos
6/30/14 9:01pm

I love this kind of car. The kind that you can't tell on first glance which end is the
front and which is the rear.

1 Reply

View all 157 replies
Powered by

Kinja

(via

Sovetcars)

VNIITE-PT,

(via Kustomrama)

Torpedo-GAZ, based on
the Pobieda M-20, had a
tubular skeleton in
duraluminium, 1951

(via Old Concept Cars and
Pre-War Car)

GAZ TR "Arrow", with a
jet engine, but only
reached the speed of 185
mph (300 km/h) due to
a lack of high-speed tires
d special route, built in

oldconceptcars)

>skvitch G2, an
rodynamic sports car
ncept, built in 1956, once
ached the speed of 139
ah (223 kmh)

a concept taxi of the USSR Research Institute of Industrial Design, 1964

8 9 10 11 ...15

T0PIIE£0-rA3

KJUrr

run iieMr/TE/ifl TA3 M-20 mmcjio wijih»ujpob 4 pabommm obum cx‘2490
M0IUHXT6 n C 105 MKCAO OB/ MMH 4000
JUIC-TAHUHfl
— 300 km c xoay J65.9 km/mac

These Are The Most Amazing Snowmobiles
Ever Built

Forget the small, modern snowmobiles with
four-stroke engines. They are way less cool
than these... Read more

(via English Russia and
wreckamovie)

The Russian Flying Saucer,
the EKIP or Tarielka, a
series of experimental
Soviet aircraft built by Lev
Nikolaevich Schukin
between 1978 and 1996

The first tests were successful, but after the fall of the Soviet Union the funding of the project
was stopped. Schukin and few other scientists could continue the project until 1996, when it
was finally ended.

21 22 23

A 300 ton version could
carrying 100 tons of
passengers and cargo,
according to Schukin.

Real-Life Flying Saucers
Prove That the Truth Is
Right Here

We introduced you some of
the weirdest aircraft of the 20th century
before, but now it's time... Read more

(via Laesieworks)

Wagon TA-05, a maglev train from 1986

Only a 0.37 mi (600 m) section of the
track was built near Moscow, and the
first tests were successful, but after fall
of the Soviet Union the project was
stopped due to lack of funding.

According to English Russia:

"Our laboratory is working on a
project of creating a passenger
wagon that will move without
touching the rails. It will move
horizontally using the principle of
a linear, three-phase,
asynchronous motor. Moving with a cruising speed of up to 250 kilometers per
hour, the vehicle will be virtually silent. The track can be raised on a platform over
the main thoroughfares of the city. One kilometer will cost 3 to 5 times less than
the subway," -the Head of the Laboratory VNIIPItransprogress, A. Chemodurov,
said in an interview.

(via grey-croco)

The only

Lun-class

ekranoplan,

Rostislav

Evgenievich

Alexeev, and

used

between

1987 and the

late 1990s

27 28 29

Dozens of more photos of its
condition in 2009 can be found
here, on igorl 13's blog.

3KpaHonnaH "Jlynb" ripoeKT 903

Bot y MeHfl n floiunn pyKn flo
3Kpai-ion.naHa.fl pa3o6bto paccKa3 o
HeM Ha 3 nrm 4 nacTu: 1-
3KpaHonnaH... Read more igorl 13.
livejournal.com

(via Vince Lewis and igorl 13)

MAZ 2000 Perestroika, a truck set
of modules built by the engineers
of Minsk Auto Factory (MAZ),

1988

(via English Russia)

A locomotive body on MZKT-7919 chassis, 2001-2002

35 36 37

(via Shusharmor)

29 157Reply

Vincze Miklos’s Discussions
All replies

imaginaryfriend

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ProfileFollow

imaginaryfriendVincze

Miklos

6/30/14 3:13pm

El Camino!
4Reply

Wrecksit

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WrecksitVincze Miklos
6/30/14 3:13pm

• Follow wrecksit

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As interesting as these cars look, the
wheels and rims look like absolute shit.

12Reply

mwhite66

ProfileFollow
mwhite66Vincze Miklos

6/30/14 3:17pm

• Follow mwhite66

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I learned to drive in this, a 1949
Studebaker Starlite. So like the ZIS-
112 .

16Reply

Poet Desmond

ProfileFollow
Poet DesmondVincze Miklos

7Reply

dave-io9

ProfileFollow
dave-io9Vincze Miklos
6/30/14 3:24pm

• Follow dave-io9

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6/30/14 3:19pm

Follow poetdesmond
Flag

Share to Facebook
Share to Pinterest
Share to Twitter
Go to permalink

I'm looking forward to seeing some of these
in Fallout: MaraflaHCKaa oSnacTb

• Go to permalink

A few of the earlier pictures remind me of this from Episode II.

Also, that ekranoplan is really intimidating looking

5Reply

Brave new world: grow ketchup and fries in one pot

newser.com

This Exists: Plant That Grows 'Ketchup' and 'Fries'

'TomTato' now available in US

By Evann Gastaldo

Posted Jan 5, 2015 8:13 AM CST

(Newser) - Tomatoes and potatoes go together like, well, ketchup and fries — so why not
grow them together? A hybrid plant known as the "TomTato" or, yes, "Ketchup 'n' Fries,"
allows you to do just that, and it's now available in the US after first being released in the UK.
The plant combines a vine growing cherry tomatoes with roots growing white potatoes — but
it's not genetically engineered. Rather, it's created by grafting, in which the tomatoes are
"spliced onto potato rootstock," the Oregonian explains, noting the process works well for
tomatoes and potatoes because they are closely related. Technically, you could try to do it at
home, but it requires the plant stems you're joining be the same thickness.

SuperNaturals Grafted Vegetables is the company handling the grafting process in the US,
and home gardeners can purchase the non-GMO plant in a 2.5-inch pot from the Territorial
Seed Company. "People have been grafting tomatoes and potatoes for a while, but mostly as
a novelty," Territorial's marketing director tells OPB, noting that before this plant was
commercialized, it was necessary to research varieties to find ones that "complement each
other well." Now, purchasers can expect to harvest some 500 red cherry tomatoes and 4.5
pounds of potatoes from each plant. Back in 2013 when the plant was only available in the
UK, Stephen Colbert featured it on his "The Craziest F#?ing Thing I've Ever Heard" segment,
calling it "unnatural" and noting, "The only time tomatoes and potatoes should meet is at the
bottom of a Styrofoam clamshell." (Read about a tree that grows 40 different fruits.)

The Ketchup 'n' Fries plant.

Bill Sparkington
1 hour, 20 minutes ago

Slight problem though on the ketchup. For the usual recipe, you have to add artificial colors,
flavors, and hfcs. Plus you have to render down the tomatoes into a paste which takes a lot
and cherry tomatoes would not be a good choice. This reminds me of the ginormous
strawberries promised on the commercial in the 80's. So I found a kit in the store of the same
thing and bought it. I followed the instructions to the t. Now I had already grown okra, green
beans, onions, com, peas, cabbage, and potatoes. So the strawberries budded and then all I

got was about cup full of thimble size fruit.

FarmerMichael
2 hours, 11 minutes ago

Territorial is a good seed source, but this publicity is funny. As are the grafted tomatoes of
recent years. Folks pay a lot. But then I had an intern from a local community college and a
lot of those kids are making their college expenses by grafting. ..so who is to say all the
farmers i know of that have grown out of the pot growing market isn't a good thing for us all..
Ivan

2 hours, 27 minutes ago

Grafting or splicing has been done for generations with no adverse effects. It's sad that
people need to be informed about it and not learn it in a botany class.

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This Story about Julius Caesar and the Pirates is the

Ultimate Lesson in Leadership | When On Earth - For People

Who Love Travel whenonearth.net

Julius Caesar may be one of the greatest leaders that ever lived. Credited as one of the
reasons that the Roman Republic actually became the Roman Empire, Julius Caesar is
revered for his military strength, decisive judgment, and his Latin prose. Many people are
familiar with the life and even the demise of this credible patriarch, but not many know that he
was kidnapped in his early twenties by pirates. This is an overlooked story that exemplifies
Caesar’s leadership capabilities.

It must first be understood that this was a time when it was common for pirates to kidnap
sailors. Most of them were sold as slaves or, in Caesar’s case, held for ransom. While he was
sailing along the Aegean Sea, it’s no surprise that he was captured by the Sicilian pirates in
the area. Unlike most people, Caesar treated this experience as a game. Caesar laughed and
went willingly, demanding that the pirates request more money than their original offer
because he was worth more.

Caesar’s time with the pirates was a joyful
experience. He was bold and boisterous, looking at
his kidnappers as equals, and it was this behavior
that caused them to view him as superior. Caesar
was on vacation under this “captivity.” He wrote his
now-famous poetry, performing it for the witless
crew, and jousting them with his words when they
didn’t give him a standing ovation or claimed to not
understand the words.

The camaraderie Caesar developed with the
pirates mirrored the relationship between frat
brothers or young friends, partying and drinking,
but that didn't stop him from exacting his revenge.
When the ransom arrived, Caesar commandeered a ship, returned to Miletus to gather
support, and took out his vengeance on the pirates. He murdered every last one, even
against the behest of the leaders of Miletus that wanted to keep them as slaves.

Caesar was never afraid, although the pirates were known for their ruthlessness and
aggression. If he feared them in anyway, he made it a point not to show it and treated them
how he would any subject. Because Caesar assumed he was above them, he grew to
actually be above them. It was the power of his mindset that drove him to act like a leader,
even though he was merely a prisoner. It’s what saved him from slavery and allowed him to
face many battles just as courageously as he faced the pirates.

Another way Caesar proved his immense fearlessness is in his promise to the pirates. He told
the pirates many times that he would come back to them and kill them for stealing him away.

CaesarandPiratesdrawingPS

He kept that promise. The pirates thought he was jesting in the way he usually did with them,
but he was serious. This did one very important thing that planted seeds for the success of
his military future - it gave him a reputation.

After this experience, people
recognized that Caesar is the
type of person that makes
good on his promise. He
would do what he says he
would do, and he was more
ruthless than the worst killers
in the area.

When looking to this story, it’s
important to note that
leadership isn’t simply the
ability to spark action in
people or to talk them into
following, but it’s also proving that your words are your bond. The debate is still open if it’s
better to loved or to be feared, but regardless of the answer, it’s best to speak your truth. That
strength is what makes a great leader.

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This Suitcase Is One Of 400 Found At An Abandoned Asylum. What’s Inside Is Truly
Incredible.

http://viral.subfeed.net/suitcase-one-400-found-abandoned-asvlunn-whats-inside-trulv-

incredible.html

Willard Asylum for the Insane, located in New York, was built in 1869. Patients had an
average stay of 30 years, and many who came to the hospital never left. Eventually the site
was abandoned, until, in 1995, an incredible discovery was made in the attic...

Over 400 suitcases, each packed with the belongings of people who lived and died decades
ago, were found. Each one is a tiny time capsule of the lives they lived before being
committed to Willard Asylum.

Although the exhibit closed in fall of 2014, the photos live on, inspiring curiosity and keeping
the memory of these obscure individuals alive.

Credit: Jon Crispin and Wimp

If you had to pack one suitcase to describe your life, what would it contain? Let us know in the
comments below, and don’t forget to share these rare images of the past with your friends
and family.

Many of these people had been abandoned by their families. When they died, they were
buried in unmarked graves, and their belongings were packed away and forgotten.

Photographer Jon Crispin has spent the last few years breathing life back into these
abandoned suitcases and memories by documenting the bags and their contents in a series
of incredible photos.

He said: “It’s such compelling stuff. These people were essentially prisoners inside. Their
families largely abandoned them. They gave them a suitcase and had them
committed. Looking at these suitcases, you just get the idea that that these people really had
lives outside before they went to Willard.”

Each suitcase has a unique story to tell.

Although some are melancholy, others are bursting with personality.

The photographs and 14 original suitcases were recently on display in an
exhibition, titled "Changing the Face of What is Normal: Mental Health”, at
the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

The exhibit also featured “Restraint”, an installation that looked at the various methods used
to restrain mental patients over the years. Viewers were invited to try them all, from a 19th-
century cage made of wood to the modern-day straight jacket.

While some items make a lot of sense, like this handy clock, others are shrouded in mystery.
Why bring a broom to a hospital?

This young dog was found at a railway station with a suitcase of
his belongings

Wednesday 7 January, 2015 thedailyedge.thejournal.ie

Tuesday 6 Jan, 2015
http://jrnl.ie/1867098

This young dog was found at a railway station with a suitcase of his belongings
Kai the shar-pei had a bag with a pillow, a toy and a food bowl.

22 hours ago 35,71 1 Views 27 Comments

Kai with his suitcase Source: Scottish SPCA

AN ANIMAL WELFARE charity has issued an
appeal after a dog was abandoned at a railway
station, along with a suitcase of his possessions.

The male shar-pei crossbreed, named Kai, was
discovered tied to railings outside Ayr station in
Scotland.

He had with him a suitcase containing a pillow, a
toy, a food bowl and some food.

Kai had previously been sold on

Gumtree, according to the Scottish SPCA which

was alerted after he was found on January 2.

Inspector Stewart Taylor said:

The dog is microchipped and we were able to find out his name is Kai. We contacted the
owner registered to the microchip, who stated they had sold Kai on Gumtree in 2013.
Unfortunately they could not tell us the address of the person who bought him. This case
highlights the potential consequences of selling an animal online.

The charity is now appealing for anyone who may have information to come forward. Taylor said:

Regardless of the fact Kai was left with his belongings, this was still a cruel incident and we
are keen to identify the person responsible. If anyone can help we would ask them to get in
touch as soon as possible.

He said Kai was “two to three years old, and is a lovely dog with a nice nature’’.

Kai will now be looked after until a permanent home is found. Contact details for the Scottish SPCA are
here.

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Time stands still in Japan’s village of scarecrows

yahoo.com

By Chris Meyers March 16, 2015 4:06 AM

A scarecrow sits on a tree in the mountain village
of Nagoro on Shikoku Island in southern Japan
February ...

NAGORO, Japan (Reuters) - Tsukimi Ayano
made her first scarecrow 13 years ago to frighten
off birds pecking at seeds in her garden. The life-
sized straw doll resembled her father, so she
made more. And then couldn't stop.

Today, the tiny village of Nagoro in southern
Japan is teeming with Ayano’s hand-sewn
creations, frozen in time for a tableau that captures the motions of everyday life.

Scarecrows pose in houses, fields, trees, streets, and at a crowded bus stop - where they
wait for a bus that never comes.

"In this village, there are only 35 people," said Ayano. "But there are 150 scarecrows, so it's
multiple times more."

Nagoro, like many villages in Japan’s countryside, has been hit hard by inhabitants flocking to
cities for work and leaving mostly pensioners behind. Its graying community is a microcosm
of Japan, whose population has been falling for a decade and is projected to drop from 1 27
million to 87 million by 2060.

Tsukimi Ayano carries a scarecrow to place it on
the road leading into the mountain village of
Nagor ...

At 65, Ayano is among the youngest residents of
Nagoro. The village school was shut in 2012 after
its two pupils graduated.

But the building is now occupied byAyano's
scarecrows: students at their desks and in
corridors, a teacher by the blackboard, while a

Each of the 350 scarecrows crafted by Ayano over the years was built on a wooden base,
with newspapers and cloth used to fill them out. They are often dressed in hand-me-downs,
and the ones propped up outdoors lined with plastic to keep them dry.

Still, the weather plays spoilsport and Ayano has often had to replace scarecrows exposed to

View gallery

suit-wearing school principal looks on.

A scarecrow sits on a tree in the mountain village of

Nagoro

the open air.

Sometimes, the new ones she makes are made to order, usually in the likeness of young
people who have left Nagoro or residents who have died.

"They're created as requests for those who've lost their grandfather or grandmother," said
Osamu Suzuki, a 68-year-old resident. "So it's indeed something to bring back memories."

Tourists have started to come too, drawn by the two lifeless delegates guarding the road
leading to the village, next to a board identifying Nagoro as "Scarecrow Village".

Ayano is happy to show her work to visitors, as long as she is not disturbed while watching
her favorite television soap opera. On her daily rounds, she walks around the village bidding
her motionless creations a good morning and tends to their needs.

(Writing by Tony Tharakan; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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Tom Robertson distances himself from vampire offer on his own
website

carlu keg azette . co.uk

Ron Harris
rharris@jpress.co.uk

15:30Friday 13 March 2015

LANARK-based author on the supernatural
Tom Robertson has moved quickly to
disassociate himself from an advert selling
‘vampire’s blood’ on his website.

The man who claims to be Scotland's only
official ghosthunter was alarmed and shocked
when he found that the guest section of his
official site was being used for "a stupid and
potentially dangerous” purpose and appealed

Although he has been something of a local celebrity for decades with his investigation of hauntings, Tom
was recently propelled to international fame with the publication of his autobiographical book
Ghosthunter.

The fame that this work has brought him has now had the downside of attracting what he describes as
“cranks” using the guest section of his site - such as the vendors of vampire blood.

He told the Gazette: “I was really shocked when I saw this advert and I want everyone to know that this
has absolutely nothing to do with me.

“In fact, I totally disassociate myself from this because, although I'm no legal expert, I’m sure there must
be some law against advertising the sale of blood through the internet and then having it sent to you by
post.

“There is also the potential health risks. How are you meant to know what it is that is being sent to you?
“You'd have to be extremely foolish to order this stuff, never mind drink it!”

to all visitors to his site to ignore it.

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1/11/2015

Tomb of Osiris - Egyptian god of the dead - found in necropolis

Tomb of Osiris - Egyptian god of the dead - found in

necropolis ibtimes.co.uk

Tomb discovered in necropolis at West Bank of Thebes

• By Fiona Keating
January 3, 2015 17:45 GMT

Archaeological Mission Canaria-Toscana)

A tomb complex has been discovered in
the necropolis at the West Bank of Thebes,
complete with multiple shafts and
chambers, say archaeologists.

Inside the tomb, researchers discovered a
carving of Osiris and a wall relief with an
illustration of a demon holding knives.

According to EFE, the Spanish news
agency, the tomb is a smaller version of
the Osireion, constructed during the reign
of pharaoh Seti I, in the city of Abydos,
Luxor.

(Wikipedia)

Scientists believe the tomb dates back to the 25th dynasty (760-656
BCE).

The underground complex is made up of a large hall, supported by
five pillars, with a staircase from the north wall of the main room,
leading down to the funerary area. A carving of Osiris, deity of the
dead, is in the middle of the central vaulted temple, according to
RTVE.

• Tomb of Osiris: The legend of ancient Egypt's god of the dead

A carving of Osiris, the Ancient Egyptian god of the dead, is in the
middle of the central vaulted temple, according to RTVE.

The tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Nobles, an area that houses over 15 excavated
tombs of ancient Egyptian high officials and dignitaries, Abdel-Hakim Karar, director of the
Upper Egypt Antiquities Department told The Cairo Post.

"The tomb was found inside the unfinished tomb of 'Kampp -327'. It is centred on a statue of
Osiris who is depicted sitting in a chapel facing a staircase with a 9-metre deep shaft
connecting to another room with another 6-metre deep shaft," said Karar.

http://w ww .ibtim es.co.uk/tom b-osi r i s-egypti an-god-dead-found-necr opol i s- 148 1 738?

1/2

1/1 1/2015

Tomb of Osiris - Egyptian god of the dead - found in necropolis

Sketch showing the outline of the tomb of
Osiris (MinProject: Archaeological Mission
Canaria-To sea na )

In ancient Egyptian mythology, "Osiris, God of the afterlife,
was murdered by his brother Seth, who was the God of
disorder and chaos. Seth shut Osiris in a sarcophagus and
threw it in the Nile River before the body was discovered
by Seth's sister and Osiris' wife, Isis, the Egyptian goddess
of magic," explained former head of the Supreme Council
of Antiquities Abdel Halem Nour el-Din.

Isis collected all the pieces and bandaged the body
together. But the only body part Isis could not locate was
the phallus, as it had been eaten by catfish. Isis created a
golden phallus and briefly brought Osiris back to life with a
spell, during this time, she became pregnant by Osiris
before he returned to death.

Isis later gave birth to Horus, who became seen as a
representation of new beginnings and the destroyer of the evil Seth.

http://www.ibti m es.co.uk/tom b-osi r i s-egypti an-god-dead-found-necr opol i s- 148 1 738?

2/2

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#10: Nixon for President

April 1, 1992: National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation revealed that Richard Nixon, in a
surprise move, was running for President again. His new campaign slogan was, "I didn't do
anything wrong, and I won't do it again." Accompanying this announcement were audio clips
of Nixon delivering his candidacy speech. Listeners responded viscerally to the
announcement, flooding the show with calls expressing shock and outrage. Only during the
second half of the show did the host John Hockenberry reveal that the announcement was a
practical joke. Nixon's voice was impersonated by comedian Rich Little.

#9: Sidd Finch

The April 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated
revealed that the New York Mets had
recruited a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch
who could throw a baseball at 168 mph —
65 mph faster than the previous record.
Surprisingly, Sidd Finch had never played
baseball before, but he had mastered the
"art of the pitch" in a Tibetan monastery.
Mets fans couldn't believe their good luck
and, accepting at face value the
peculiarities of Sidd Finch's past, flooded
Sports Illustrated with requests for more
information. But in reality this amazing player only existed in the imagination of author George
Plimpton, who had left a clue in the sub-heading of the article: "He's a pitcher, part yogi and
part recluse. Impressively liberated from our opulent life-style, Sidd's deciding about yoga —
and his future in baseball." The first letter of each of these words, taken together, spelled "H-

#8: UFO Lands in London
March 31, 1989: Thousands of
motorists driving on the highway outside
London looked up in the air to see a
glowing flying saucer descending on
their city. Many of them pulled to the
side of the road to watch the bizarre
craft float through the air. The saucer
finally landed in a field on the outskirts
of London where local residents
immediately called the police to warn
them of an alien invasion. Soon the
police arrived on the scene, and one
brave officer approached the craft with his truncheon extended before him. When a door in
the craft popped open, and a small, silver-suited figure emerged, the policeman ran in the
opposite direction. The saucer turned out to be a hot-air balloon that had been specially built
to look like a UFO by Richard Branson, the 36-year-old chairman of Virgin Records. The stunt

a-p-p-y A-p-r-i-l F-o-o-l-s D-a-y — A-h F-i-b .

He's a pitcher, purl \oiii and iKtrt recluse.
Imprcssiscls liberated frt/m our
opulent life -style. Sidd's deciding about fogh-
.ii id his future in baseball

THE

CURIOUS

CASE OF
SIDD FIN CH

combined his passion for ballooning with his love of pranks. His plan was to land the craft in
London's Hyde Park on April 1. Unfortunately, the wind blew him off course, and he was
forced to land a day early in the wrong location.

#7: The Taco Liberty Bell
April 1, 1996: The Taco Bell Corporation
took out a full-page ad that appeared in six
major newspapers announcing it had
bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it
the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged
citizens called the National Historic Park in
Philadelphia where the bell was housed to
express their anger. Their nerves were only
calmed when Taco Bell revealed, a few
hours later, that it was all a practical joke.
The best line of the day came when White
House press secretary Mike McCurry was
asked about the sale. Thinking on his feet, he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also
been sold. It would now be known, he said, as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.

#6: Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity
April 1, 1976: During an early-morning
interview on BBC Radio 2, the British
astronomer Patrick Moore announced that at
9:47 AM that day a once-in-a-lifetime
astronomical event was going to occur. Pluto
would pass behind Jupiter, and this planetary
alignment would temporarily counteract and
lessen the Earth’s own gravity. Moore told his
listeners that if they jumped in the air at the
exact moment the alignment occurred, they
would experience a strange floating sensation.

When 9:47 AM arrived, the station began
receiving hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to have felt the sensation. One
woman reported that she and her friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the
room. Moore had intended his annoucement to be a spoof of a pseudoscientific theory that
had recently been promoted in a book called The Jupiter Effect, alleging that a rare alignment
of the planets was going to cause massive earthquakes and the destruction of Los Angeles in
1982.

I S' < > Hi-i hi s -- m i m m ; ;

#5: San Serriffe

April 1, 1977: The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement devoted to San
Serriffe, a small republic said to consist of several semi-colon-shaped islands located in the
Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately described the geography and culture of this
obscure nation. Its two main islands were named Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse. Its capital
was Bodoni, and its leader was General Pica. The Guardian's phones rang all day as readers
sought more information about the idyllic holiday spot. Only a few noticed that everything
about the island was named after printer's terminology. The success of this hoax is widely

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credited with launching the enthusiasm for
April Foolery that gripped the British tabloids
in subsequent decades.

#4: The Sydney Iceberg
April 1 , 1978: A barge towing a giant iceberg
appeared in Sydney Harbor. Sydneysiders
were expecting it. Dick Smith, a local
adventurer and millionaire businessman, had
been loudly promoting his scheme to tow an
iceberg from Antarctica for quite some time.
Now he had apparently succeeded. He said
that he was going to carve the berg into small
ice cubes, which he would sell to the
public for ten cents each. These well-
traveled cubes, fresh from the pure
waters of Antarctica, were promised to
improve the flavor of any drink they
cooled. Slowly the iceberg made its way
into the harbor. Local radio stations
provided blow-by-blow coverage of the
scene. Only when the berg was well
into the harbor was its secret revealed.

It started to rain, and the firefighting
I foam and shaving cream that the berg
was really made of washed away,
uncovering the white plastic sheets

#3: The Eruption of Mount
Edgecumbe

April 1, 1974: The residents of Sitka,
Alaska woke to a disturbing sight.

Clouds of black smoke were rising from
the crater of Mount Edgecumbe, the
long-dormant volcano neighboring them.
People spilled out of their homes onto
the streets to gaze up at the volcano,
terrified that it was active again and
might soon erupt. Luckily it turned out
that man, not nature, was responsible
for the smoke. A local practical joker
named Porky Bickar had flown hundreds of old tires into the volcano's crater and then lit them
on fire, all in a (successful) attempt to fool the city dwellers into believing that the volcano was
stirring to life. According to local legend, when Mount St. Helens erupted six years later, a
Sitka resident wrote to Bickar to tell him, "This time you've gone too far!"

#2: Instant Color TV

beneath.

April 1, 1962: Sweden's SVT (Sveriges
Television) brought their technical
expert, Kjell Stensson, onto the news to
inform the public that, thanks to a new
technology, viewers could convert their
existing sets to display color reception.

At the time, there was only the one TV
channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in
black and white, so this was big news.
Stensson explained that all viewers had
to do was pull a nylon stocking over their
tv screen, and the mesh would cause the
light to bend in such a way that it would
appear as if the image was in color. He proceeded to demonstrate the process. Thousands of
people were taken in. Many Swedes today still report remembering their fathers rushing
through the house trying to find stockings to place over the TV set. Regular color broadcasts
only commenced in Sweden on April 1, 1970.

#1: The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest
April 1, 1957: The respected BBC news
show Panorama announced that thanks to a
very mild winter and the virtual elimination of
the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers
were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It
accompanied this announcement with
footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of
spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of
viewers were taken in. Many called the BBC
wanting to know how they could grow their
own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC
diplomatically replied, "place a sprig of
spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best." Even the director-general of the
BBC later admitted that after seeing the show he checked in an encyclopedia to find out if
that was how spaghetti actually grew (but the encyclopedia had no information on the topic).
The broadcast remains, by far, the most popular and widely acclaimed April Fool's Day hoax
ever, making it an easy pick for number one.

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#100: FatSox

April 1, 2000: The Daily Mail revealed that Esporta Health Clubs had launched a new line of
socks, dubbed FatSox, designed to help people lose weight. These revolutionary socks
actually sucked body fat out of sweating feet, promising to "banish fat for ever." The American
inventor of this weight-loss product, Professor Frank Ellis Elgood, explained that the socks
employed a nylon polymer called FloraAstraTetrazine "previously only applied in the nutrition
industry." As a person's body heat rose and their blood vessels dilated, the socks drew
"excess lipid from the body through the sweat." After having sweated out the fat, the wearer
could then simply wash the socks, and the fat, away.

#99: Blue Can Warning
April 1, 1996: Virgin Cola ran an ad in
British papers announcing that in the
interest of consumer safety it had
integrated a new technology into its
cans. When the cola passed its sell-by
date, the liquid reacted with the metal in
the can, turning the can bright blue.
Virgin warned that consumers should
therefore avoid purchasing all blue
cans. Coincidentally, Pepsi had recently
unveiled its newly designed cans which
were bright blue.

#98: Maradona Joins Soviet Soccer Team
April 1, 1988: The Soviet newspaper Izvestia
reported that the world-renowned Argentine
soccer star Diego Maradona was in
negotiations to join Spartak Moscow, who
were to pay him $6 million to play on their
struggling team. The Associated Press
quickly picked up this surprising story and
distributed it to their subscribers, but had to
publish a retraction after querying Izvestia for
more details and receiving the response that
they should be mindful of the date (April 1st).
The AP had believed the story because
Soviet papers had never before published an April Fool's Day hoax. It was simply unheard of
for the dour, state-run publications to crack a joke. The sudden display of humor was credited
to Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of glasnost, or openness, instituted the previous year.

#97: No-Hole Polo Mints

April 1, 1995: Spoofing the increasingly complex regulations mandated by the European
Economic Community, Polo Mints ("the mint with a hole") ran ads in British papers
announcing that "in accordance with EEC Council Regulation (EC) 631/95" they would no
longer be producing mints with holes. This regulation supposedly required that all producers

Take steps to lose weight
in the socks that eat fat

^^AprilFool,

comrades!

polo

_ ^EflS
Jo LONGER

produced

WITH

holes

jrs~

of "tubular foodstuffs" delete the holes from
their products. To satisfy the regulation, all
the existing stock of Polo mints would be
supplemented with a "EURO-CONVERSION
KIT" containing twenty 7mm "Hole Fillers" to
be placed inside each Polo mint. A "detailed
instruction leaflet" would also be included.
#96: Swiss Mountain Cleaners
April 1, 2009: The Swiss Tourism Board
released a video that revealed the secret of
why their mountains look so clean. It was
due to the hard work of the Association of
^ Swiss Mountain Cleaners, whose
' members daily scaled the Alps,

\ scrubbing the rocks of unsightly bird
^ droppings. The cleaning not only
maintained the beauty of the Alps,
but also prevented the droppings
from eating away at the rocks,
causing cavities that might
eventually lead to the complete
erosion and disappearance of the
mountains. Millions of people watched the video, and 30,000 took the online test to determine
whether they had what it took to become a mountain cleaner (aka "Felsenputzer"). Later that
year, due to popular demand, the Brunni cable car company began offering an actual
mountain cleaning course that attracted would-be Felsenputzers from around the world.

#95: Caught Playing Solitaire

The April 1998 cover of Broadcast Engineering showed a view of the media control room of
TCI (Tele-Communications Inc. — at the time the largest U.S. cable provider. Later acquired
by AT&T and then Comcast.) The cover sparked a massive reader response, with hundreds
of letters sent to the magazine pointing out what appeared to be an unintentional goof: the
game Solitaire could clearly be seen on the computer screen of the employee in the
foreground. Evidently the man had been caught red-handed not doing his job. Not so, the
editors revealed in the next issue. The solitaire-playing employee was an intentional (but very
believable) joke, created with the participation of TCI's engineering staff.

#94: Thatcher-Gorbachev Romance

April 1, 1987: The Daily Mirror broke the news of a romance that had blossomed between
Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev during Thatcher's tour of the Soviet Union. It
accompanied this revelation with photos of the two world leaders sitting together in Moscow's
Gorky Park. In one photo, Thatcher could be seen tenderly tickling Gorbachev under his chin.
In another, the two walked arm in arm and even sneaked a kiss. The photos were posed by
lookalikes, but they succeeded in fooling thousands. Many expressed shock that Thatcher, a
married woman, would act in such a way in public. In real life, Thatcher left Moscow on April
2, 1987. She told members of the press that she and Gorbachev "got on very well,
considering that we are very different and hold very different views."

#93: The Tasmanian Mock Walrus
April 1, 1984: The Orlando Sentinel
featured a story about a creature
known as the Tasmanian Mock
Walrus (or TMW for short) that many
people in Florida were said to be
adopting as a pet. The creature was
four inches long, resembled a
walrus, purred like a cat, and had
the temperament of a hamster. What
made it such an ideal pet was that it
never had to be bathed, used a litter
box, and ate cockroaches. In fact, a
single TMW could entirely rid a house
of its cockroach problem. However,
the local pest-control industry was said
to be pressuring the government to
ban TMWs, fearing they would put
cockroach exterminators out of
business. Dozens of people called the
paper trying to find out where they
could obtain their own TMW. Skeptics
noted that the photo of a TMW
accompanying the article showed a
creature that looked suspiciously
similar to a Naked Mole Rat.

#92: The British Weather Machine
Much of the April 1, 1981 issue of
The Guardian was given over to
discussion of an exciting scientific
breakthrough. Scientists at Britain's
research labs in Pershore had
developed a machine to control the
weather within a 5000-kilometer
radius. This was good news for the
British, who were to be guaranteed
long summers with rainfall only at
night, but it turned out to be
somewhat less good news for the
rest of Europe, who would be stuck with "whatever Pershore decides to send it." One photo
showed Prof. Max Chisholm-Downright, inventor of the weather machine, expressing "quiet
satisfaction as a computer printout announced sunshine in Pershore and a forthcoming
blizzard over Marseilles." Readers were assured that the machine would produce only minor
side effects, such as a "ten or twelve-foot rise in mean sea level."

#91: Guinness Mean Time

March 31, 1998: An article in the
Financial Times detailed an
agreement that had been struck
between the Old Royal Observatory
in Greenwich, England and the
Guinness brewery, wherein
Guinness would be declared the
official beer sponsor of the
Observatory's millennium
celebration. Greenwich Mean Time
would be renamed Guinness Mean Time, and instead of counting seconds in "pips," as was
traditional, the Observatory would count them in "pint drips." The Financial Times lamented
that the deal marked a new low in corporate marketing and set a "brash tone for the
millennium." But what the Financial Times didn't realize was that it had fallen for a joke. The
Guinness press release, from which it had taken the information, had been marked for April 1
release. The Financial Times subsequently published a curt retraction, clarifying that
Guinness Mean Time had been "apparently intended as part of an April 1 spoof."

NATIONAL NEW8

HiBW AUWS MM* lOUtt JW****'* UWffTWS C

Guinness to sponsor the
Old Royal Observatory

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#90: Athens Pollution Alert

April 1, 1982: Greece's state-controlled National Radio Network issued a warning that
pollution had reached emergency levels in downtown Athens, and that the city would have to
be immediately evacuated. All schools were called upon to close, and the children to be sent
home. Furthermore, anyone driving a car was asked to abandon it and flee to open ground.
Since pollution in Athens was (and still is) a serious problem, thousands of people took the
broadcast seriously and began to leave the city. Within three hours the Radio Network
retracted the warning, revealing it to be a joke, but by then the damage had been done. One
man sued the network for $820,000, claiming the prank had caused him mental distress. The
director of the network submitted his resignation over the incident, and the originator of the

#89: The Multicolor Gondolas of
Venice

April 1, 1995: For hundreds of
years, the gondolas of Venice have
been colored black — and only
black. According to legend, this is
because after the plague struck
Venice in the sixteenth century, it
was decreed that all the gondolas
had to be black as a tribute to the
victims. Therefore, massive shock
and outrage was triggered by an
announcement on the front page of II Gazzettino Venezia that the city council had decided
that all the gondolas should henceforward be colorized, not only with bright shades of red,
yellow, blue, and green, but also with swirls and geometric shapes. The city council, the
paper said, made this decision after conducting "thorough market research on the tastes of
tourists and Venetians," which had determined that people were tired of seeing "dismal" black
boats plying the canals of Venice.

#88: Around the World for 210 Guineas
April 1, 1972: In honor of the 100-year
anniversary of Thomas Cook’s first round the
world travel tour, the London Times ran an
article about Cook's 1872 tour, in which it noted
that the vacation had cost the participants only
210 guineas each, or approximately $575. A
few pages later, Times readers then found a
small article noting that in honor of this
anniversary, Thomas Cook was running a
promotion, offering the chance to buy a similar
package deal at 1872 prices. The deal would
be given to the first 1000 people to apply. The
only clue that this was a joke was the remark that applications should be addressed to "Miss

hoax was fired.

Avril Foley." The response to this bargain-basement offer was swift and enthusiastic. Huge
lines formed outside Thomas Cook offices, and the travel agent was swamped with calls. The
Times subsequently issued an apology and dismissed the reporter who had written the
article, though he was later reinstated.

#87: Orange-Bearing Pine Trees
April 1, 1950: Motorists driving
along the scenic Rim of the World
highway near Lake Arrowhead in
Southern California encountered
something remarkable. All the pine
and cedar trees lining the road had
grown oranges overnight. The
transformation turned out to be the
work of the residents of the nearby
town of Skyforest, led by the
cartoonist Frank Adams. They had crept out during the night and strung 50,000 oranges in
the trees along a one-mile section of the highway. The fruit was left over from the recent
National Orange Show in San Bernardino.

#86: LA Highways Close for
Repairs

April 1, 1987: LA disc jockey Steve
Morris (pictured) announced on
KRTH-FM that freeways in Los
Angeles and Orange counties would
be closed for major repairs from
April 8 to May 1 so that road crews
could work nonstop. Morris
discussed the news throughout his
morning show, from 6:30 to 9:30
a.m., until finally he announced,
"April Fool!" But long before he revealed the joke, his announcement had spread panic
throughout L.A., where the freeway is an unavoidable part of daily life for most people. The
radio station, Caltrans, and the California Highway Patrol were all flooded with calls. KRTH
later admitted that it was stunned by the reaction to the hoax and noted that it had received a
call from Caltrans informing them that "they didn't think it was very funny."

#85: Thermal Ties

April 1, 1985: ITN News reported that the British Department of Energy, as part of its
ongoing effort to help companies save money by reducing office heating bills, had developed
a thermally insulated tie. "Our research," the DOE's Chief Scientist Dr. Derek Pooley
explained, "has discovered that heat loss from the body is particularly important in the front of
the chest, and this thermally insulated tie is to prevent heat loss from that part of the body."
The DOE predicted that if office workers were to wear these "thermal ties," British companies
could save up to £5 million annually on heating bills. Conservative MP Anthony Beaumont-
Dark subsequently reprimanded the DOE for participating in the spoof news video, noting that
such pranks were "OK for the music hall, but we do not expect this type of thing from

Oranges Grow
ine T re

ountain

government departments."

#84: World to End Tomorrow
March 31, 1940: Philadelphia's Franklin
Institute issued a press release declaring
that the world would end the following
day. The release was then picked up by
radio station KYW whose announcers
told their listeners, "Your worst fears that
the world will end are confirmed by

astronomers of the Franklin Institute

Scientists predict that the world will end
at 3 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
tomorrow. This is no April Fool
joke." The public reaction was
immediate. Local authorities were
flooded with frantic phone calls. The
panic only subsided after the
Franklin Institute repeatedly assured
everyone that it had made no such
prediction. The prankster
responsible for the press release
turned out to be William Castellini
(pictured in inset), the Institute's
press agent. He had intended to use
the fake release to publicize an April
1st lecture at the institute titled "How Will the World End?" Soon afterwards, the Institute
dismissed Castellini.

#83: Why Doesn't America Read
Anymore?

April 1, 2014: On its Facebook
page, NPR News shared a link to an
article with the provocative title,

"Why Doesn't America Read
Anymore?" The link generated
hundreds of comments. Some
agreed with the premise. Others
disagreed. But what the responses
shared in common was that the
people who posted them had
unwittingly demonstrated the

Thousands Frightened By Broadcast
That World Due to End Early Today

PHILADELPHIA. April I-
An nnnoiwi" cmrnl Ihnl "Ihe world
will end nt 3 p. m. B. 3. T., Mon-
day. April 1." r*lwwH by t hr
Franklin Ii>a.ltil*'s dlrcvtor of pub-
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radio station <KYW> sent Ihous-
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i '. i -

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relevance of the question by failing to take the time to click on the link and read the article. If
they had, they would have discovered a short paragraph stating, "We sometimes get the
sense that some people are commenting on NPR stories that they haven't actually read. If
you are reading this, please like this post and do not comment on it. Then let's see what
people have to say about this 'story.'"

#82: How To Cook A Unicom
April 1, 2012: The British Library, on
its Medieval Manuscripts Blog,
announced the "near-miraculous"
discovery in its archives of a long-lost
medieval cookbook that included a
recipe for how to cook a unicorn.
"Taketh one unicorne," began the
instructions, and then marinade it in
cloves and garlic before finally
roasting it on a griddle. The cookbook
even included hand-drawn
illustrations, which the library
reproduced, showing exactly how the unicorn should be grilled. The compiler of the cookbook
was said to be one "Geoffrey Fule," who worked in the kitchens of Philippa of Hainault,

Queen of England from 1328-1369.

Why Doesn't America Read Anymore?

www.npr.org

#81: Dutch Elm Disease Infects
Redheads

April 1, 1973: BBC Radio broadcast
an interview with an elderly
academic, Dr. Clothier, who
discoursed on the government's
efforts to stop the spread of Dutch
Elm Disease. Dr. Clothier revealed
that some startling discoveries had
recently been made. For instance,

he referred to the research of Dr. Emily Lang of the London School of Pathological and
Environmental Medicine who had found that exposure to Dutch Elm Disease immunized
people to the common cold. Unfortunately, there was a side effect. Exposure to the tree
disease also caused red hair to turn yellow and eventually fall out. This was attributed to a
similarity between the blood count of redheads and the soil conditions in which affected trees
grew. Therefore, Dr. Clothier warned that redheads should stay away from forests for the
foreseeable future. Dr. Clothier was in reality the comedian Spike Milligan.

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#80: Belgium Divides

April 1, 1992: The London Times reported that formal negotiations were underway to divide
Belgium in half. The Dutch-speaking north would join the Netherlands and the French-
speaking south would join France. An editorial in the paper lamented that, "The fun will go
from that favorite parlor game: Name five famous Belgians." The report fooled many,
including the British foreign office minister, T ristan Garel-Jones, who almost went on a TV
interview prepared to discuss this "important" story. The Belgian embassy also received
numerous calls from journalists and expatriate Belgians seeking to confirm the news. A rival
paper later criticized the prank, saying that, "The Times's effort could only be defined as
funny if you find the very notion of Belgium hilarious."

Day ot decision arrives for future of Belgium

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#79: Frogs Meet Wave
April 1, 1906: The front page of the
Wichita Daily Eagle carried news of
an astounding natural phenomena.
A huge wave, eleven-feet high, was
moving southward down the
Arkansas River. Simultaneously, a
giant mass of millions of frogs,
spanning a distance of over eleven
miles, was migrating northward up the river. The two (wave and frogs) were predicted to meet
at Wichita at around 10 o'clock that morning. The report brought out thousands of Kansans
who lined the banks of the river, eager to see such a once-in-a-lifetime event. When, after
three hours, the wonder never materialized, it occurred to the crowd what day it was, and
they dispersed quietly back to their homes.

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#78: Operation Parallax
April 1, 1979: London's Capital
Radio announced that Operation
Parallax would soon go into effect.
This was a government plan to
resynchronize the British calendar.
The station explained that, ever
since 1945, Britain had gradually
become 48 hours ahead of the rest
of the world because of the constant
switching back and forth from British
Summer Time. To remedy this
situation, the government had decided to cancel April 5 and 12 that year. Capital Radio was
flooded with calls as a result of the announcement. One employer wanted to know if she had
to pay her employees for the missing days. Another woman was curious about what would
happen to her birthday, which fell on one of the cancelled days.

#77: All Fools Preferred

April 1, 1922: A new stock named "A.F.P." appeared on the bulletin board of the Detroit
stock exchange. Little was known about it except that the initials were rumored to stand for

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"American Fire Protection." Despite
the relative mystery, the new listing
prompted lively trading. It opened at
six, rose rapidly to 12, dropped
down to 2, and finally climbed back
upward to 8, where it remained. But
eventually someone thought to
contact the Michigan Securities
Commission to ask if this new stock
had been sanctioned by them. They
responded that "A.F.P." was not
authorized, so sales of it were illegal
and each broker was responsible for

his own losses. At which point, word got around that the initials actually stood for "April Fool
Preferred" or "All Fools Preferred." The identity of the prankster who listed it on the board was
never discovered.

#76: The Derbyshire Mummified
Fairy

In late March 2007, Dan Baines posted
on his website images of an 8-inch,
winged creature, explaining that it had
been found in Derbyshire by a man
walking his dog, and that it had
eventually been brought to him for
analysis, since he was known in the
area as a paranormal expert. So what
was this thing? Baines speculated it
might be a mummified fairy. Because
the Internet loves a mystery, the
images quickly went viral, with the result that by April 1 his site was receiving tens of
thousands of visitors a day. Some wrote to him claiming they had found similar creatures.
Others were mad that he had revealed its location. But at the close of April 1 , Baines
admitted it was all a hoax. He had made the fairy himself. (He was a professional prop
maker.) But the public's fascination with the creature refused to die. Many rejected his
confession, dismissing it as a cover-up to hide the real truth. Seven years later, because of
continuing interest in the fairy, Baines successfully funded a 'make your own mummified fairy
kit' on Kickstarter.

#75: Migrant Mother Makeover

The April 2005 issue of Popular Photography included an article titled "Can these photos be
saved?" about how to remove unsightly wrinkles from photographic subjects. The editors
offered Dorothea Lange’s famous "Migrant Mother" photo (taken in 1936 during the Great
Depression) as an example of a photographic subject suffering from the signs of stress. The
editors erased her wrinkles, softened her gaze, and removed her kids, transforming her from
an iconic symbol of endurance into something closer to a smooth-faced, worry-free soccer
mom. Readers were horrified. Hundreds of them wrote in expressing outrage that the

v v.

: t

‘There's nothing more
hamster’ - but help is at 1

magazine would think such a classic
image "needed to be saved." To
which the editors replied: Look at
the date it was published!

#74: King's College Choir Uses
Helium

April 1, 2014: The renowned King's
College Choir is not known for farce.
This made it noteworthy when they
released a video announcing that
complex regulations had made it
impractical to continue featuring
young boys in the choir, and that
they had been forced to find other ways
to replicate the high pitch of the boys'
preadolescent voices. Because the older
choral scholars had vetoed the "surgical
solution,” the choir leaders had finally
adopted a suggestion made by a
colleague in the Chemistry Department
— use helium. The video, demonstrating
the use of helium during a performance,
generated almost 1 million views on
YouT ube.

#73: Viagra For Hamsters
April 1, 2000: The Independent reported that Florida researchers had developed a Viagra-
like pill to treat sexually frustrated pets, including hamsters. Veterinarians were said to have
greeted the news with derision, but the article pointed out that there are few things as sad as
a pet suffering from feelings of sexual inadequacy, noting, "It's not unknown for a guinea pig
to sit in its cage thinking, 'I haven't had sex for months. Am I so unattractive?"' Owners were
instructed to simply grind the pills up and sprinkle them in the pet's food. Laying some
newspaper down on the floor once the pills began to take effect was also advised. The pills
were to be marketed under the brand name Feralmone.

#72: Space Shuttle Lands in San
Diego

April 1, 1993: Dave Rickards, a DJ at
KGB-FM in San Diego, announced that
the space shuttle Discovery had been
diverted from Edwards Air Force Base
and would soon be landing at
Montgomery Field, a small airport in the
suburbs of San Diego. Thousands of
commuters immediately headed towards
the location — cameras, camcorders,
and folding chairs in hand — hoping to

rathetic than a frustrated
md in the form of Feralmone

witness the landing. So many people showed up that traffic was brought to a standstill,
requiring the police to start directing cars away from the airport. Of course, there were some
clues that the announcement was a hoax. For instance, Montgomery Field is too small for
large aircraft to land there, let alone a space shuttle. Also, there wasn't a shuttle in orbit at the
time. The police weren't amused by the prank. They made it known that they would be billing
the radio station for the cost of forcing officers to direct traffic.

#71 : Qualcomm's Wolf Pigeon
April 1, 2009: Telecommunications
company Qualcomm unveiled a
plan to expand wireless coverage
by implanting tiny base-stations into
pigeons hybridized with wolves
(wolf-pigeons). Their reason for
using this hybrid creature was that
the wolf-pigeons could fly overhead
but simultaneously be self-
defensible, form packs when
needed, and go out as "lone
wolves" to areas without coverage. However, the company confessed that their plan had
encountered some problems requiring a series of fixes. Because the wolf-pigeons tended to
run amok, it had been necessary to create "Shark Falcons" to keep them under control. And
to control the Shark Falcons, in turn, Qualcomm engineers had drafted plans to create a
Crocodeagle (crocodile-eagle hybrid). The video press release probably fooled few people.
Nevertheless, the escalating absurdity of the technological fixes, coupled with the earnest
sincerity with which they were described, quickly made the video a popular favorite, elevating
it to classic status.

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#70: Atmospheric Energy Harnessed

Headlined at the top of the front page of the April 3, 1 923 issue of the New York Times was
an article about a terrifying new weapon recently invented by a Soviet scientist, Figu
Posakoff. It was capable of "harnessing the latent energy of the atmosphere," and thereby
hurling objects of any weight almost unlimited distances. The Soviets were said to be
committed to using the invention for peaceful purposes, although the possession of such a
weapon was bound to give it military superiority over all other nations. As the Times noted the
next day, the story would have been "important if true." However, it wasn't true. It was an April
Fool hoax that had run two days prior in the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. But the New York
Times wasn't alone in falling for it. The LA Times also subsequently printed it as fact, as did
many other American papers, some up to a month later.

Russian Claims Harnessing of Air Energy

Soviet Holds It Is Greatest Discovery

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#69: Big Ben Goes Digital
April 1, 1980: The BBC’s overseas
news service reported that Big Ben,
in order to keep up with the times,
was going to be given a digital
readout. The segment included
people's nostalgic reminiscences
about the world's most famous
clock, such as anecdotes about the
day it stopped and when it chimed
13 instead of 12. Finally, the service
announced that the clock hands,
being no longer needed, would be given away to the first four listeners to contact them. One
Japanese seaman in the mid-Atlantic immediately radioed in, hoping to be among the lucky
callers. However, the BBC was shocked when it then began receiving a massive volume of
calls from listeners who were furious that Big Ben was going to be meddled with.

"Surprisingly, few people thought it was funny," admitted Tony Lightley of the service. The
BBC had to spend several days apologizing to listeners for upsetting them.

#68: One-Way Highway
April 1, 1991 : The London Times
reported that the Department of
Transport had finalized a plan to
ease congestion on the M25, the
circular highway surrounding
London. The capacity of the road
would be instantly doubled by the
simple but revolutionary technique
of making the traffic on both
carriageways travel in the same
direction. On Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays the traffic
it would travel anti-clockwise. The plan

Uproar
follows
BBC joke

LONDON — BBC is still trying lo
apologize to overseas listeners who
look seriously an April Fools Day
broadcast that London’s Big Ben
was going digital.

would travel clockwise. On Tuesdays and Thursdays

was predicted to easily gain the cabinet's approval. However, there were a few critics. One
resident of Kent pointed out, "Villagers use the motorway to make shopping trips to
Orpington. On some days this will be a journey of two miles, and on others a journey of 1 17
miles. The scheme is lunatic." Despite the lunacy, the BBC Radio News fell for the joke and
broadcast interviews with residents of Swanscombe who, when the plan was described to
them, became irate over its implications.

Ministers plan one-way traffic #67: Webnode
scheme to banish M25 hold-ups

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announced the creation of a new
company called Webnode, which
had been granted an exclusive
government contract to regulate
ownership of 'nodes' on the 'Next
Generation Internet.' The release
linked to Webnode’s corporate
website, which offered a "technical
explanation" that nodes were "points of presence" (pops) on the web, which would be
collected into megapops and then into gigapops and that "connections among gigapops will
be negotiated by the gigapops themselves through the Collective Entity." Numerous media
outlets picked up on the story, including Yahoo and Wired, and stock message boards filled
with posts from people eager for more info about the company. But would-be Webnode
investors were let down later that day when three pranksters from the Silicon Investor stock-
chat site admitted the company was their hoax, created, they said, to educate investors about
fraud on the Internet by demonstrating that "Anybody can put out a press release and say
pretty much anything they want." Business Wire didn’t find the prank funny and successfully
sued the three for $27,500.

#66: Nat Tate

April 1, 1998: A celebrity-studded
party was held at Jeff Koons's SoHo
studio to celebrate the release of
William Boyd's biography of the late
American artist Nat Tate — a
troubled abstract expressionist who
had leapt to his death from the
Staten Island ferry. David Bowie
read aloud selections from the
biography, while art critics in the
crowd murmured appreciative
comments about Tate's work. It was a week later that journalist David Lister revealed the
secret in the Independent Nat Tate didn't exist. He was a figment of Boyd's imagination.
Lister, who had attended the SoHo party, noted that although no one in the crowd had
claimed to know Tate well, also no one admitted they had never heard of him — although no
one had. The London newspapers declared it "one of the great literary hoaxes of all time" and
gloated over New York's "bamboozled celebs."

. VJ S k T U p

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connectives

technologies

OWN IT!

#65: Metric Time
April 1, 1975: Australia's This Day
Tonight (TDT) news program
revealed that the country would
soon be converting to "metric time."
Under the new system there would
be 100 seconds to the minute, 100
minutes to the hour, and 20-hour
days. Furthermore, seconds would
become millidays, minutes become
centidays, and hours become
decidays. The report included an
interview with Deputy Premier Des Corcoran who praised the new time system. The Adelaide
townhall was even shown sporting a new 10-hour metric clock face. The image to the right
(courtesy of TelevisionAU.com) shows TDT Adelaide reporter Nigel Starck posing with a
smaller metric clock. TDT received hundreds of calls from viewers who fell for the hoax. One
frustrated viewer wanted to know how he could convert his newly purchased digital clock to
metric time.

#64: Man-Eating Piranhas
April 1, 1974: An article by sports writer
Bob Peel in the Syracuse Post-Standard
warned anglers to stay at least three feet
away from the banks of streams and to
absolutely NOT go in the water. An
"accidental mix-up" at the hatchery had
led to several dozen man-eating piranhas
being released along with the thousands
of trout set free in preparation for trout-
fishing season. The piranhas, the article
warned, could "completely devour an ox in
less than five minutes." Even the fountain
outside the downtown Courthouse was potentially not safe because it had been stocked with
a few fish. The article ended with the line, "This is baloney. ALL PURE BALONEY." But a
reporter for WSYR-TV, who apparently hadn’t read to the end of the story, shared the warning
with viewers, causing piranha-fear to spread throughout the county. Bob Peel reportedly had
to spend the next few days answering calls from worried anglers, reassuring them that there
weren't really piranhas loose in the waters of upstate New York.

#63: Grandstand's Newsroom Brawl

April 1, 1989: Viewers of the BBC Sports Show Grandstand thought that tensions among
BBC employees must have reached a breaking point when, as presenter Desmond Lynam
talked about upcoming events the program was going to be covering, a fight broke out behind
him in the newsroom. As the fight escalated, Lynam acted like a consummate professional,
calmly continuing to discuss the news and assuring the audience that, "We'll continue to do
our best to cover sport in the way that you like, backed up by our highly professional team."
Later in the show, Lyman noted that viewers may have seen "a bit of an altercation" behind

. him and apologized for this. But then he
Anglers Qiyen Fishy Warning proceeded to show an instant, slow-motion

replay of the fight. Only after the replay
was the joke revealed, as the newsroom
brawlers were shown standing together,
holding a sign that read "April Fool." The
segment is widely considered to be a
classic moment in TV sports reporting.

#62: The Loonie Takes a Tumble
April 1, 2002: International currency
markets were rattled by the unexpected
news that Canada's finance minister, Paul
Martin, was quitting his job in order to
breed "prize Charolais cattle and handsome Fawn Runner ducks." The Canadian dollar
(known as the 'loonie' because it bears an image of a loon bird) promptly experienced a sell-
off and fell to its lowest level in a month. The currency only began to recover after Martin's
office issued a denial, insisting that the minister had no plans to become a cattle and duck
farmer. The fake news was quickly traced back to Bourque.org, a news site run by Pierre
Bourque, where it had been posted the day before as an April Fool joke. Dennis Gartman,
editor of The Gartman Letter {a widely followed financial newsletter), had mistaken the
announcement for real news and included it in his daily e-mail report, thereby giving it wider
distribution. Bourque later told a reporter that he was astonished his spoof hadn't instantly
been recognized for what it was, noting, "The ducks were the tell-tale sign."

#61: Contra-Polar Energy
The April 1955 issue of Popular
Electronics included an article about
"contra-polar energy" — a kind of negative
energy that, so it was claimed, would
cause electrical devices to produce the
opposite effect of what they normally
would do. For instance, if contra-polar
energy were applied to an ordinary table
lamp, the bulb would cast darkness
instead of light (as shown in the
illustration). Similarly, if applied to a
soldering iron or a hot plate, the devices
would grow freezing cold. Contra-polar energy technology was said to have been developed
during World War II, but had recently been declassified because of its potential use to the
general public. The article elicited enormous interest from readers, with many writing in
requesting more information. And they continued to do so for years, forcing the magazine to
have to point out twice (in 1 959 and then again in 1 963) that the subheading of the article,
which read "In keeping with the first day of April," should be taken literally.

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#60: Welcome To Chicago!

April 1, 1992: Airline passengers descending into Los Angeles Airport might have
experienced a momentary feeling of panic when they looked out the window and saw an 85-
foot-long yellow banner on the ground that spelled out, in 20-foot-high red letters, "Welcome
to Chicago." It was raised above the Hollywood Park race track, which lay directly along the
flight path for arriving planes, about three miles from the airport. Park spokesman Brock
Sheridan explained, "It was something we always wanted to do. We thought it would be kind
of funny and our new management... thought it would be a great practical joke." The sign

#59: The Game That Never Was

The official football season was over,
and Brazil's Sao Paulo FC was
touring Europe, playing a series of
"friendly" games. On 1 April 1951,
fans heard a live broadcast from Italy
where the team was playing Milan,
with Geraldo Jose de Almeida
reporting for Radio Panamericana.
But there was horror and despair
throughout Sao Paulo when the
match ended in a humiliating 4-0
rout. (Some accounts say 8-1).
Adding to the outrage was a series of referee decisions that had shamelessly favored Milan.
But in reality, no game had been played nor even scheduled. The entire broadcast had been
recorded in the garage of the owner of the radio station before the team had left for Europe,
with the shouts of the crowd and the sound of the ball created by a sound engineer. The
revelation of the joke the following day brought relief to fans, but this was quickly followed by
anger and cries for legal action to be taken against the station for "tarnishing" the image of

#58: Write-Only Memory
April 1, 1973: The Signetics corporation
issued a press release announcing their
invention of a revolutionary new
electronic memory that promised to
"improve the quality of life for billions of
people who are affected by computer
data." As opposed to the common
"write-and-read" or "read-only"
memories (ROM), they had perfected
Fully-Encoded 9046XN 25120 Write-
Only Memory (aka WOM). Data could
be written to the device, but never read
back, thus ensuring Eternally Inaccessible Storage (EIS). Accompanying the press release

Brazilian football.

remained up for two days.

was a data sheet (written by Signetics engineer John Curtis) detailing the chip’s technical
specifications. Write-Only Memory subsequently became a favorite inside joke within the
engineering community, with engineers over subsequent years repeatedly trying to convince
their managers of the need to purchase quantities of this vital component.

#57: Origin of April Fool's Day
Revealed

April 1, 1983: The Associated
Press reported that the mystery of
the origin of April Fool's Day had
finally been solved. Joseph Boskin,
a Boston University professor, had
discovered that the celebration
began during the Fourth Century
when Emperor Constantine jokingly
appointed a court jester named
Kugel as ruler for a day. As
temporary ruler, Kugel immediately
decreed that only the absurd would be allowed in the kingdom on that day. And so the
tradition of April Fools was born. The AP story appeared in hundreds of papers, but several
weeks later Boskin confessed that none of it was true. He had intended his story about Kugel
the jester as a joke, but the AP reporter who had interviewed him had taken it seriously.

Boskin noted that a Kugel is actually a kind of Jewish casserole. He also admitted that he
didn't know how April Fool's Day began.

#56: Pregnancy Revealed via Speakerphone

April 1, 2014: Stephen Barrows, professor of economics at Aquinas College, had a strict rule
that if a student's phone rang during class they had to answer it on speakerphone, in front of
everyone. So when Taylor Nefcy's phone rang on April 1, he enforced the rule and the entire
class proceeded to hear this, "Hi, this is Kevin from the Pregnancy Resource Center. Per your
request, I'm calling to inform you that the test results have come back positive.
Congratulations!" Barrows' face immediately turned red, and he muttered, "OK, you might
want to shut that down." When the call finally ended, he gravely apologized to her, but she
assured him it was okay. She had been expecting the news. In fact, she already had a name
picked out for the baby. Its first name would be April, and the middle name Fool. A video of
the prank was uploaded to YouTube a few days later and quickly racked up over 25 million
views and was featured on multiple national news programs. It's been hailed as the best
classroom April Fool prank ever, and at this point it's certainly the most widely shared and
celebrated one ever.

#55: YouTube Rickrolls the Internet

The Rickrolling prank involves tricking a person into clicking a link that leads them to a clip of
Rick Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up." For instance, a person might think they're
clicking a link to see a preview of a new movie, but instead Rick Astley appears on their
screen, singing his 1987 hit single. The prank became hugely popular in late-2007 and for a
while seemed to be nearly ubiquitous online. But on 1 April 2008, YouTube took the joke to
an entirely new level when the company redirected all the featured videos on its frontpage to
Astley's clip. It was, without a doubt, the most extensive Rickroll of all time. As many people

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noted, the site had, because of its huge audience, essentially succeeded in Rickrolling the
entire Internet.

#54: Lard From Live Pigs

April 1, 1921 : The Berliner lllustrirte Zeitung reported that a German farmer had developed a
method of obtaining lard from live pigs by operating on the pigs to remove the rashers, then
bandaging the pigs up and letting them heal. The operation could be repeated three times a
year and was made possible by the use of novocaine (which, at the time, was a relatively
recent surgical innovation). The story was subsequently widely reprinted by American and
British papers. Articles expressed admiration at the Teutonic efficiency of the technique,
which could solve an "important food problem," but they simultaneously voiced concerns
about the roughness of the method on the animal. It was only a full year later (at which point
the story was still doing the rounds) that an English paper realized that the town of
"Schleichegrieben," where this inventive German farmer supposedly lived, a) did not exist,
and b) meant "sneaking bacon" in translation.

#53: Canned Unicorn Meat
April 1, 2010: Online retailer
ThinkGeek announced an exciting
new product — canned unicorn
meat, which it described as "the
new white meat" and an "excellent
source of sparkles." It's unlikely that
many people believed ThinkGeek
was really selling unicorn meat, but
the concept proved popular enough
that a few months later the company
started selling the product for real.
Customers who ordered it received a stuffed unicorn toy inside a can. Except for customers in
Germany who complained that they weren’t receiving their orders. Eventually the reason for
the delay was traced back to the shipments being halted by German customs officials — who
apparently believed that unicorns were real and had therefore decided that the product fell
afoul of regulations banning the importation of meat from "rare" animals.

#52: The Wiesbaden Martian
April 1, 1950: The Wiesbadener Tagblatt
(of Wiesbaden, Germany) announced that
a flying saucer had crashed nearby and ran
a photo of a small, one-legged
extraterrestrial that had supposedly been
found near the wreckage by American
soldiers. The article elicited so many
inquiries that the paper had to publish a
disclaimer several days later. But the
career of the hoax was far from over. An
unknown informant sent a clipping of the
photo to the FBI, and the agency duly filed
it away, mistakenly labeling it a "Martian in the USA." Three decades later, the agency

passed the photo along to UFO researcher Barry Greenwood, and through him it made its
way into the influential 1980 book The Roswell Incident, whose authors presented it to
readers as genuine evidence of contact with UFOs. The photo, on account of being in this
book, is credited with playing a large role in popularizing the idea of extraterrestrials as "little
grey men." The Wiesbadener Tagblatt photographer who created the image subsequently
revealed that the alien was actually his five-year-old son (heavily doctored and airbrushed)
posing with soldiers from the local U.S. base.

#51: Retrobreeding the Woolly Mammoth

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[5| Woolly Mammoth" that described an effort by

p- Soviet scientists to bring the woolly mammoth

H back from extinction. The Soviet team, led by Dr.

■ Sverbighooze Yasmilov, had taken DNA from

l P mammoths found frozen in Siberian ice and

inserted it into elephant cells. The cells were then
Pt. being brought to term inside surrogate elephant

Is mothers. Despite clues that the story was not

~ entirely serious (such as the comical name of the

lead scientist, the cartoon accompanying the
story, and the April 1 dateline), the story was reported as real news by the Chicago Tribune
several weeks later and sent out via its news service. And several months after that,
Sverbighooze Yasmilov and his mammoth resurfaced in Family Weekly, a Sunday
supplement carried in over 350 newspapers. Family Weekly later apologized for its
"mammoth mistake."

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#50: 15th Annual NYC April Fool Parade

April 1, 2000: A news release informed the media that the 15th annual New York City April
Fool's Day Parade would begin at noon on 59th Street and proceed down to Fifth Avenue. It
would include a "Beat 'em, Bust 'em, Book 'em" float created by the New York, Los Angeles,
and Seattle police departments, portraying "themes of brutality, corruption and
incompetence." There would also be an "Atlanta Braves Baseball Tribute to Racism" float
featuring John Rocker "spewing racial epithets at the crowd." CNN and the Fox affiliate
WNYW promptly sent news crews to cover the parade. They arrived at 59th Street at noon
and patiently waited for the parade to start. It never did. The prank was the handiwork of long-
time hoaxer Joey Skaggs, who had been issuing press releases announcing the nonexistent
parade every April Fool's Day since 1986 (and, as of 2015, he’s still maintaining the tradition).

#49: Rain-Deflecting Open Top Car
April 1, 1983: BMW's UK division ran
an ad in British papers revealing that
one of its engineers, Herr Blohn, had
designed a sunroof that could be kept
open even in the rain, thanks to jets of
air that blasted the water away from
the top of the car. The system worked
completely automatically, even in a
car wash. Those seeking more
information were directed to query
"Miss April Wurst" in the BMW
marketing department. The ad was
the start of a long tradition of the company creating spoof ads every April 1st. In fact, BMW
has been creating April Fool ads longer and more consistently than any other company that
we're aware of, and the success of their ads played a large role in convincing other
companies to run spoof ads on the first of April. This practice has now become so widespread
that many companies say they feel compelled to create spoof ads for April 1 , lest their
customers think they lack a sense of humor.

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#48: The Night Watch Dissolves
April 1, 1950: VARA, the Dutch
national radio network, broadcast an
interview with an emotional
employee of the Rijksmuseum who
confessed that, while he had been
attempting to clean and restore The
Night Watch by Rembrandt, he had
accidentally used the wrong fluid.

As a result, the famous painting was
dissolving. Paint, he said, was
dripping from the canvas even as he
spoke. By midnight the masterpiece

would be entirely gone, merely a puddle on the floor. The confession mobilized hundreds of
art-lovers who showed up at the Rijksmuseum to view the beloved painting one last time. As
they queued in front of the museum, VARA radio announcers walked up and down the line
interviewing them. Some waited patiently in line for hours before realizing they had been
fooled.

#47: Bombs Away!

Aprill , 1 91 5: A British pilot flew over the
Lille Aerodrome (occupied by the
Germans) and dropped what appeared to
be a huge bomb. The German soldiers
down below immediately scattered in all
directions, but no explosion followed. After
some time, the soldiers crept back and
gingerly approached the bomb. They
discovered that it was actually a large
football with a note tied to it that read,
"April Fool — Gott Strafe England !" [Note:
'Gott strafe England' was a slogan used
by the German Army during World War I meaning, "May God punish England." Its use by the
British aviator was evidently meant to be ironic.]

#46: Tail Lights for Horses
April 1, 1961: In Milan, in 1961, many
people from the surrounding
countryside still rode their horses into
the city. So La Notte newspaper
announced that city authorities, in
order to make sure the horses could
continue to co-exist with motor traffic,
had passed a law making it mandatory
for horses to be outfitted with signaling
and brake lights while being ridden
through the streets. Many people
subsequently brought their horses into
car mechanics to have them outfitted with the necessary lights.

#45: Smellovision

April 1, 1965: BBC TV interviewed a London University professor who had perfected a
technology called "Smellovision" that allowed the transmission of smells over the airwaves.
Viewers would be able to smell aromas produced in the television studio in their own homes.
The professor explained that his machine broke scents down into their component molecules
which were then transmitted through the screen. The professor demonstrated by placing
some coffee beans and onions into the smellovision machine. He asked viewers to report
whether they had smelled anything. Numerous viewers called in from across the country to
confirm that they had distinctly experienced these scents. Some even claimed the onions
made their eyes water.

#44: Bearskin Helmets Need Trimming

The April 1980 issue of Soldier magazine (official
publication of the British Army) revealed that the
fur on the bearskin helmets worn by the Irish
guards while on duty at Buckingham Palace
keeps growing and needs to be regularly
trimmed. It explained that the helmets were
originally made from the skin of Russian bears,
and the thickness of this skin was such that it
retained "enough of the essential hormones and
animal fats to sustain hair growth — in temperate
climates almost indefinitely." The Cold War had
eliminated new supplies of Russian bear pelts,
but thankfully the fur of Canadian
Grizzly bears turned out to have the
same self-regenerating properties. An
accompanying photo showed
Guardsmen sitting in an army
barbershop having their helmets
trimmed. The editors of the London
Daily Express were so impressed by
the story that they passed the
information on to their own readers,
apparently not realizing it was an April
Fool.

#43: Diseases of Brunus edwardii

The April 1972 issue of Veterinary
Record, the weekly (and usually very
serious) journal of the British
veterinary profession, contained an
article about the diseases that afflict a
species it described as Brunus
edwardii. The article warned that, "Pet
ownership surveys have shown that
63.8 percent of households are
inhabited by one or more of these
animals, and there is a statistically
significant relationship between their
population and the number of children
in a household. The public health implications of this fact are obvious, and it is imperative that
more be known about their diseases." The reader response to the article was enormous. For
months afterwards the correspondence section of the Veterinary Record was dominated by
letters about Brunus edwardii, many of which offered new observations about the species.

The article proved so popular that it was eventually published in a special edition by
Whittington Press. Brunus edwardii is better known as the common "Teddy Bear."

#42: Viewers Take Offense

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In early 1960, a TV viewer
complained to a network about
seeing a black man kiss a white
woman on one of their shows. The
network, eager not to offend, flew
an account executive down to meet
with the viewer and explain to him
that the actor was actually white, but
that the local station had
accidentally broadcast the show at a
high contrast ratio, making him
appear dark-skinned. When Paul
Krassner (editor of the satirical underground magazine The Realist) heard about this he was
outraged that a TV network would be so afraid of offending a racist. So he designed a prank
to serve as payback. He asked his readers to write to the network after the April 1st airing of
the celebrity panel show Masquerade Party (a completely unexceptionable show), and to
complain that they had been offended by something on it, but not to specify what it was that
had offended them. Hundreds of his readers obliged. The result was panic at the network.
Reportedly the TV executives watched the tape of the show repeatedly, desperately trying to
figure out what could have offended so many people.

#41: Brides for Liechtenstein
April 1, 1928: The Berliner lllustrirte
Zeitung ran an article about a Bride
Import company created to supply
wives to the men of Liechtenstein.
The small principality was losing
women, the magazine said,
because they were all going to
neighboring Switzerland and Austria
to find work. As a result, the gender
ratio of the country was becoming
seriously unbalanced — to such an extent that the government had decided to import brides
to prevent depopulation. Suitable women were found in cities and towns throughout Europe
and were then transported to Liechtenstein in freight cars, where they were sold in marriage
markets. When news of this article reached Liechtenstein it provoked outrage. The men of
Liechtenstein were particularly offended by a photo that showed the supposed brides (all of
them large-sized) being carried out of a freight car. This was felt to be insulting to the beauty
of the actual women of Liechtenstein. Government officials denounced the article and photo
as an example of tasteless German humor. News of this "international row" was then picked
up by the press and reported worldwide, which had the effect of circulating the offending
photo even more widely than it originally had been.

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#40: The Frankfurt Zoo's White Elephant

April 1, 1949: A crowd of over 1000 people, paying a mark each, showed up at the Frankfurt
Zoo to see a "snow-white elephant." Newspaper ads had said that the legendary animal had
come all the way from Burma, accompanied by its handlers dressed in their traditional robes,
and would be at the zoo for only a day before leaving for Copenhagen. And as promised, the
crowd did get to see a snow-white elephant. But the next day they learned that it wasn't a
genuine snow-white elephant. It was just one of the zoo's regular grey elephants painted
white. However, the people of Frankfurt were willing to forgive the deception since it was the
work of the zoo's director, Berhard Grzimek. He had become a hero in post-war Germany
because of the passion with which he fought to save the animals of the Frankfurt Zoo, and he
was known for being willing to do anything (including promising snow-white elephants that

#39: Wisconsin State Capitol
Collapses

April 1, 1933: The front page of the
Madison Capital-Times announced with
large headlines that the Wisconsin
state capitol building lay in ruins
following a series of mysterious
explosions. The explosions were
attributed to "large quantities of gas,
generated through many weeks of
verbose debate in the Senate and
Assembly chambers." Accompanying
the article was a picture showing the
capitol building collapsing. The picture probably wouldn't fool many people nowadays, but by
all accounts it fooled quite a few people at the time. Many readers were outraged. One reader
wrote in declaring the hoax "was not only tactless and void of humor, but also a hideous jest."
In fact, the "capitol building exploding because of a buildup of hot air" was a fairly old joke,
even in 1933. But the Capital-Times's photo has come to be considered the classic
representation of the joke.

#38: The 26-Day Marathon

April 1, 1981: The Daily Mail ran a story about an unfortunate Japanese long-distance
runner, Kimo Nakajimi, who had entered the London Marathon but, on account of a
translation error, thought that he had to run for 26 days, not 26 miles. Nakajimi was reported
to be somewhere out on the roads of England, still running, determined to finish the race.
Various people had spotted him, though they were unable to flag him down. The translation
error was attributed to Timothy Bryant, an import director, who said, "I translated the rules
and sent them off to him. But I have only been learning Japanese for two years, and I must
have made a mistake. He seems to be taking this marathon to be something like the very
long races they have over there."

#37: Gmail Motion

April 1 , 201 1 : Google announced the introduction of Gmail Motion, a new technology that

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would allow people to write emails using only hand gestures. Gmail Motion, the company
explained, used a computer's webcam and a "spatial tracking algorithm" to track a person's
gestures and translate them into words and commands. For instance, a person could 'open a
message' by making a motion with their hands as if opening an envelope. Or they could
'reply' to a message by pointing backward over their shoulder. By 2011, Google had become
well-known for making spoof announcements every April first, with its annual spoofs both
highly anticipated and widely shared. (The company earns a place in the Top 100 largely on
the basis of that alone). But Gmail Motion was one of its more believable jokes. In fact, within
a few days programmers had demonstrated that it was possible (if not practical) to create a
working, gesture-based email system like Gmail Motion using existing, off-the-shelf
technology.

#36: Whistling Carrots

April 1, 2002: The British supermarket chain Tesco ran an ad in The Sun announcing the
successful development of a genetically modified 'whistling carrot.' The ad explained that the
carrots had been specially engineered to grow with tapered airholes in their side. When fully
cooked, these airholes caused the vegetable to emit a "97 decibel signal" indicating they
should be removed from the stove. (97 decibels is roughly equivalent to the noise level of a
jackhammer or pneumatic drill). Opponents of their carrots envisioned "a nightmare scenario
for future generations becoming as deaf as a post, albeit with improved vision."

#35: Kremvax

April 1, 1984: A message distributed to
the members of Usenet (the online
messaging community that was one of
the first forms the internet took)
announced that the Soviet Union was
joining the network. This generated
enormous excitement, since most
Usenet members had assumed that
cold war security concerns would
forever prevent such a link-up. The
message purported to come from
Konstantin Chernenko (from the
address chernenko@kremvax.UUCP) who explained that the Soviet Union wanted to join the

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network in order to "have a means of having an open discussion forum with the American and
European people." The message created a flood of responses. Two weeks later its true
author, a European man named Piet Beertema, revealed it was a hoax. This is believed to be
the first hoax on the internet. Six years later, when Moscow really did link up to the internet, it
adopted the domain name 'kremvax' in honor of the hoax.

I #34: The Interfering Brassieres

April The Daily Mail

reported that a local manufacturer
had sold 10,000 "rogue bras" that
| were causing a unique and
unprecedented problem, not to the
| wearers but to the public at large.
Apparently the support wire in these
bras had been made out of a kind of
copper originally designed for use in
fire alarms. When this copper came
into contact with nylon and body
heat, it produced static electricity which, in turn, was interfering with local television and radio
broadcasts. The chief engineer of British Telecom, upon reading the article, is said to have
immediately ordered that all his female laboratory employees disclose what type of bra they
were wearing.

Organization: Moscow Institute for International Affairs
Contact: K. Chernenko
Phone: +7 095 840401
Postal-Address: Moscow, Soviet Union
Electronic-Address: mcvax!moskvax!kremvax!chernenko
News: mcvax kremvax kgbvax
Mail: mcvax kremvax kgbvax

#33: Atomic Mist Invades Eindhoven
March 31, 1947: "Een zwarte dag voor
Eindhoven" declared the headline on the front
page of the Eindhovensch Dagblad
(T ranslation: "A black day for Eindhoven").
The accompanying article reported that the
Dutch town might be destroyed the next day
(April 1) by an "atomic mist" blowing into the
town because of an accident at the nearby
N.V. Philips factory, unless the situation could
be contained. The article proceeded to offer
nonsensical advice in case the worst should
occur, such as to sit on a thin pole with your
most people didn’t read beyond the headline,
and the result was widespread panic. Thousands of people attempted to flee. Even the RAF
base at The Hague phoned the police, wanting to know if they should avoid flying over the
area. The situation only began to calm down when the mayor went on the radio, emphatically
assuring everyone that the story was false. The event is remembered as one of the more
notorious media-created panics in the history of the Netherlands.

#32: The Robbery of the U.S. Treasury

April 1, 1905: The Berliner Tageblatt broke the news of a shocking and massive crime — all
the gold and silver in the U.S. Federal Treasury had been stolen. A group of thieves funded
by American millionaires, the paper explained, had tunneled beneath the Potomac River and
then beneath the Treasury, robbing it from below and getting away with over $268,000,000.

arms and legs stretched out in front of you. But

The U.S. Government was said to be
desperately trying to conceal the crime,
even as its forces chased the criminals
across the oceans of the world. Much of
the German media accepted the story
without question and reprinted it, making it
a major news story throughout Europe.
Some newspapers even created
illustrations to show the exact location of
the tunnel dug by the thieves. When word
reached America, most U.S. newspapers
were bemused by the gullibility of their
European counterparts. However, there
were a few calls for a congressional investigation of the crime. It was noted that European
editors probably accepted the story so readily because many of them were already firmly of
the opinion that America was a country in the grips of millionaire criminals.

#31: Thomas Edison Invents Food
Machine

April 1, 1878: After Thomas Edison
invented the phonograph in 1877,
Americans firmly believed that there were
no limits to his genius. So when the New
York Graphic announced on this day that
Edison had invented a machine that could
transform soil directly into cereal and
water directly into wine, thereby ending
the problem of world hunger, it found no
shortage of willing believers. Newspapers
throughout America copied the article,
heaping lavish praise on Edison. The conservative Buffalo Commercial Advertiser was
particularly effusive in its praise, waxing eloquent about Edison's brilliance in a long editorial.
The Graphic subsequently took the liberty of reprinting the Advertiser's editorial in full, placing
above it a simple, two-word headline: "They Bite!"

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Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#30: Boimate

April 1, 1983: New Scientist ran an article about the first successful "plant-animal hybrid" that
had resulted in a tomato containing genes from a cow. The cow-tomato was said to have a
"tough leathery skin" and grew "discus-shaped" clumps of animal protein sandwiched
between an envelope of tomato fruit. The article included clues that it was a joke, such as the
names of the researchers, MacDonald and Wimpey, who supposedly worked at the
University of Hamburg. But these clues weren't recognized by the Brazilian science magazine
Veja which ran a feature about the new cow-tomato hybrid several weeks later. Veja dubbed
the hybrid "Boimate," and even created a graphic to show how the cow-tomato hybridization
process occurred. The magazine was subsequently relentlessly ridiculed in the Brazilian
media, until it eventually apologized for its "unfortunate mistake."

Sdcflii*ii mak? itw fini plant-animal h>iw>d #29: The Danish Currency

Exchange

April 1, 1980: In early 1980, the
National Bank of Denmark had
issued a 20-kroner banknote
featuring a picture of two sparrows.
Curiously, one of the sparrows
appeared to be one-legged. This
was the backdrop for the April first
announcement in the Roskiide
Tidende that all bills with one-
legged birds were actually fake, but
that they could be exchanged at the

post office for genuine bills depicting two-legged birds. The paper showed a picture of a
supposedly authentic bill — which was just a regular bill onto which the paper's cartoonist,

Jan Robert Thoresen, had drawn an extra leg. Lines at post offices soon became so long,
with people eager to exchange their money, that post office employees had to put notices on
the doors explaining that no currency exchange was taking place. Thoresen was
subsequently questioned by the police, but was let go without any charges filed.

#28: The Swiss Moon Landing Hoax
April 1, 1967: Swiss Radio interrupted its
regularly scheduled program with a news
flash: U.S. astronauts had just landed on
the moon. For the next hour, listeners
heard a series of elaborately staged
updates, complete with reports from
correspondents around the world and
interviews with experts. Belief was near
total. Telephone exchanges became
jammed, and even U.S. authorities in
Switzerland, unsure what to believe,
began to celebrate. The broadcast

concluded with the report that the "moonship" would take off from the moon at 7 p.m., and
listeners were told they could see it return to Earth by watching from a high vantage point,

away from the city lights. In Zurich this prompted a mass exodus of people out of the city up
to nearby Mt. Uetliberg. The railroad had to add additional trains to handle the sudden rush of

passengers. It was another two years before U.S. astronauts actually did land on the moon.

April Fool, Swiss Style —

_ . . ■ — — — — — —

Thousands Are Convinced

V.S. Lands on the Moon

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#27: Texas Honors the Boston
Strangler

April 1, 1971: The Texas House of
Representatives unanimously passed a
resolution honoring Albert DeSalvo,
noting he had been "officially
recognized by the state of
Massachusetts for his noted activities
and unconventional techniques
involving population control and applied
psychology." The Texas politicians
were embarrassed when it was later
revealed to them that DeSalvo was

better known as the "Boston Strangler." He had confessed to killing 13 women. The
resolution had been submitted by Representatives Tom Moore and Lane Denton, who said
they did it to demonstrate that "No one reads these bills or resolutions."

#26: Hawaiian Tax Refund
April 1, 1954: Hawaiian DJ Hal "Aku
Head" Lewis announced on KHON radio
that the U.S. Senate had not only
approved Statehood for Hawaii but had
also provided for an "immediate" refund
of all 1953 Federal taxes to Island
residents. The news caused massive
turmoil throughout Hawaii. Radio
stations, newspapers, and the Internal
Revenue Bureau were flooded with calls
from people seeking more information.
Many banks received calls from people
who wanted to place orders for stock and bond purchases with their forthcoming refund. The
announcement seemed plausible because a Hawaiian tax refund had been in the news
recently. Congressman Joseph Farrington had suggested that islanders should be given a
refund of all federal taxes they had ever paid if Hawaii wasn't granted full statehood. In reality,
Hawaii only achieved statehood in 1959, not 1954, and islanders' taxes were never refunded.
#25: Flying Penguins

April 1 , 2008: The BBC announced that camera crews filming near the Antarctic for its
natural history series Miracles of Evolution had captured footage of Adelie penguins taking to
the air. It even offered a video clip of these flying penguins, which quickly became one of the
most viewed videos on the internet. Presenter Terry Jones explained that, instead of huddling
together to endure the Antarctic winter, these penguins took to the air and flew thousands of

4 Strangler 9

Praised

By Texas Resolution

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miles to the rainforests of South America
where they "spend the winter basking in
the tropical sun." A follow-up video
explained how the BBC created the
special effects of the flying penguins.

#24: Drunk Driving on the Internet
An article by John Dvorak in the April
1994 issue of PC Computing magazine
described a bill going through Congress
that would make it illegal to use the
internet while drunk, or even to discuss
sexual matters over a public network. The
bill was supposedly numbered 040194
(i.e. 04/01/94), and the contact person was listed as Lirpa Sloof. Passage of the bill was felt
to be certain because "Who wants to come out and support drunkenness and computer sex?"
Dvorak explained that the bill had come about because the Internet was often referred to as
an "Information Highway." He noted that, "Congress apparently thinks being drunk on a
highway is bad no matter what kind of highway it is." The article generated so many outraged
phone calls to Congress that Senator Edward Kennedy's office had to release an official
denial of the rumor that he was a sponsor of the bill.

: Space Needle Collapses
April 1, 1989: Seattle's "Almost Live"

Trust Congress? Not With This comedy show started their program with a

Unbelievable Lair of Slop news flash: the Seattle Space Needle had

collapsed. A reporter presented the news,

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and then several shots of the Space
Needle lying on its side in a pile of rubble
were shown. The show's host, John
Keister, appeared after a commercial break
and assured viewers the announcement
had only been a joke. Nevertheless,
thousands of people were fooled. Staff at
the Space Needle reported receiving over
700 calls from concerned viewers, and 911 lines jammed from the sudden rush of calls from
people seeking more information. The false report remains infamous in Seattle to this day.
#22: The Great Comic Strip Switcheroonie

April 1 , 1 997 : When comic strip fans opened their papers, they discovered that their favorite
strips looked different. Not only that, but in many cases characters from other strips popped
up out of place. The reason for the chaos was the Great Comics Switcheroonie. Forty-six
comic-strip artists conspired to pen each other's strips for the day. For instance, Scott Adams
of Dilbert took over Family Circus by Bil Keane, where he added a touch of corporate
cynicism to the family-themed strip by having the mother tell her kid to "work cuter, not
harder." Jim Davis of Garfield took over Blondie, which allowed him to show his famous
overweight cat eating one of Dagwood's sandwiches. The stunt was masterminded by Rick
Kirkman and Jerry Scott, creators of the Baby Blues comic strip. When asked why he

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don't get that many chances to tunnel
under the fence.”

#21 : The Predictions of Isaac
Bickerstaff

February 1708: A previously unknown
London astrologer named Isaac
Bickerstaff published an almanac in
which he predicted the death by fever of
the famous rival astrologer John
Partridge on March 29 of that year.
Partridge indignantly denied the
prediction, but on March 30
Bickerstaff released a pamphlet
announcing that he had been
correct: Partridge was dead. It took
a day for the news to settle in, but
soon everyone had heard of the
astrologer's demise. And so, on
April 1st the joke came to full fruition
when Partridge was woken by a
sexton outside his window wanting
to know if there were any orders for his funeral sermon. As hard as he tried, Partridge couldn't
convince people that he wasn't dead. Bickerstaff, it turned out, was a pseudonym for the
satirist Jonathan Swift. His prognosticatory prank worked so well that Partridge was
eventually forced to stop publishing almanacs, unable to shake his reputation as the man
whose death had been foretold.

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Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

hoaxes.org

#20: The Left-Handed Whopper

April 1 , 1 998: Barger King published a full page advertisement in USA Today announcing the
introduction of a new item to their menu: a "Left-Handed Whopper" specially designed for the
32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new whopper included
the same ingredients as the original Whopper (lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty, etc.), but all
the condiments were rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of their left-handed customers. The
following day Burger King issued a follow-up release revealing that although the Left-Handed
Whopper was a hoax, thousands of customers had gone into restaurants to request the new
sandwich. Simultaneously, according to the press release, "many others requested their own
'right handed’ version." Left-handed products of various kinds are actually an old joke on April
first, but Burger King's announcement quickly became, by far, the most famous version of the

#19: Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers

The April 1995 issue of Discover magazine reported
that the biologist Dr. Aprile Pazzo had found a new
species in Antarctica: the hotheaded naked ice
borer. These fascinating creatures had bony plates
on their heads that, fed by numerous blood vessels,
could become burning hot, allowing the animals to
bore through ice at high speeds. They used this
ability to hunt penguins, melting the ice beneath the
penguins and causing them to sink downwards into
the resulting slush where the hotheads consumed
them. After much research, Dr. Pazzo theorized that
the hotheads might have been responsible for the
mysterious disappearance of noted Antarctic explorer Philippe Poisson in 1837. "To the ice
borers, he would have looked like a penguin," the article quoted her as saying. Discover
received more mail in response to this article than they had received for any other article in

#18: New Zealand Wasp Swarm
April 1 , 1949: New Zealand DJ Phil Shone
(of radio station 1 ZB) warned his listeners
that a mile-wide wasp swarm was headed
towards Auckland, and he urged them to
take steps to protect themselves, such as
wearing their socks over their trousers when
they left for work, and leaving honey-
smeared traps outside their doors. Auckland
residents dutifully heeded his advice, and
panic grew until he finally admitted it had all
been a joke. The New Zealand Broadcasting
Service wasn't amused. Its director, Prof.
James Shelley, denounced the hoax on the grounds that it undermined the rules of proper

their history.

broadcasting. From then on, a memo was sent out each year before April Fool's Day
reminding New Zealand radio stations of their obligation to report nothing but the truth.

■ • I #17: Atomic Blueprint Scare

Invasion by Wasps
April Fool's Day Hoax

AUCKLAND, HZ, April L —
(Reuters) — People in AuekUsd
kept their children from schools
and sealed their doors and win-
dows today when a radio station
said a swarm of wasps a milwr
wide was approach!^ the city.

April 1, 1952: Two teenage boys
walked into a London police station
_ and handed over a folder that
appeared to contain blueprints for
an atomic device. The boys said
they had found the folder lying on
the pavement at a bus stop. British
authorities immediately went into
high alert. Concern reached the
highest levels of government, with
members of the House of Commons
informed of a possible loss of
atomic secrets. The media got wind of the situation as well, raising public alarm. But when
physicists finally got around to examining the documents, they couldn't make any sense of
them and eventually concluded they were meaningless. The mystery was solved when a
friend of the two boys, 15-year-old Victor Mehra, confessed he had created the papers out of
old Norwegian blueprints (including a blueprint for a sausage machine) he had found in the
office where he worked. As a prank, he had written "a lot of gibberish" on the papers and
titled them "Plan for Atomic Device C.D.ZZ 29679 Nuclear Physics Pattern O. 778523 — Top
Secret." Then he gave the folder to his friends, telling them he had found it lying in the street.

#16: Easter Island Statue Washes Ashore
March 29, 1962: A man walking along the
beach near the Dutch town of Zandvoort
reported a bizarre discovery. He had found,
washed up on the sand, a small statue that
looked just like the famous statues on Easter
Island. Based on the statue's weathered
appearance, it seemed that the ocean
currents must have carried it all the way from
the South Pacific to the Netherlands. The
discovery made headlines around the world.
An expert from Norway confirmed that it
seemed to be an authentic Easter Island
artifact, and huge crowds showed up to see it. But on April 1, the man who had found the
statue, a local artist named Edo van Tetterode, confessed he had made it and planted it on
the beach, having been inspired by the research of Thor Heyerdahl. The next year, Tetterode
created a National April First Society, which annually awarded small bronze replicas of the
Easter Island statue to those who, in its estimation, had made the best jokes during the
previous year. The society remained in existence until Tetterode's death in 1996.

#15: The Washing of the Lions

April 1, 1698: As reported in Dawks’s News-Letter the following day, "several persons were
sent to the Tower Ditch to see the Lions washed." This is the earliest known record of an April

Fool's Day prank. The joke was that
there were no lions being washed in
the Ditch (i.e. moat) of the Tower of
London. It was a fool's errand. For well
over a century after this, the prank of
sending unsuspecting victims to see
the "washing of the lions" at the Tower
of London remained a favorite April
Fool's Day joke. In the mid-nineteenth
century, pranksters even printed up
official-looking tickets that they
distributed around London on April
first, promising admittance to the (non-

existent) annual lion-washing ceremony.

#14: The Norwegian Wine Surplus
April 1, 1950: Aftenposten, Norway's
largest newspaper, announced on its
front page that the government-
owned Wine Monopoly
(Vinmonopolet) had received a large
shipment of wine in barrels, but it had
run out of bottles. To get rid of the
extra wine, the stores were running a
one-day bargain sale, offering wine at
75% off and tax-free. The catch was
that buyers had to bring their own
containers to put the wine in.

"Buckets, pitchers, and the like" were recommended. When the Vinmonopolets opened at 10
a.m., Norwegian wine lovers rushed to line up, forming long queues that stretched around the
block. According to legend, numerous empty buckets were later seen lying in the streets, left

ding in line, that the sale was a hoax.

#13: The Body of Nessie Found
April 1, 1972: Newspapers around the world
reported the sensational news that the dead
body of the Loch Ness Monster had been found.
A team of zoologists from Yorkshire's Flamingo
Park Zoo had come across it while working at
the Loch. The researchers tried to take the
Nessie corpse back to Yorkshire, but Scottish
police promptly stopped them, citing an old law
that made it illegal to remove "unidentified
creatures" from Loch Ness. However,
subsequent examination of the creature
determined that it wasn't actually Nessie.
Instead, it was a large bull elephant seal from the South Atlantic. But how had it gotten to

Loch Ness? This was revealed the next day when the Flamingo Park's education officer, John
Shields, confessed responsibility. The seal had died the week before at Dudley Zoo. He had
shaved off its whiskers, padded its cheeks with stones, and kept it frozen for a week, before
surreptitiously dumping it in the Loch, intending to play an April Fool's prank on his
colleagues. He admitted the joke got somewhat out of hand when the police became
involved.

#12: Man Flies By Own Lung Power

In April 1934, many American
newspapers (including The New York
Times) printed a photograph of a man
flying through the air by means of a
device powered only by the breath from
his lungs. Accompanying articles
excitedly described this miraculous new
invention. The man, identified as
German pilot Erich Kocher, blew into a
box on his chest. This activated rotors
that created a powerful suction effect,
lifting him aloft. Skis on his feet served
as landing gear, and a tail fin allowed him to steer. What the American papers didn't realize
was that the "lung-power motor" was a joke. The photo had first appeared in the April Fool's
Day edition of the Berliner lllustrirte Zeitung. It made its way to America thanks to Hearst's
International News Photo agency which not only fell for the hoax but also distributed it to all
its U.S. subscribers. In the original article, the pilot's name was spelled "Erich Koycher,"
which was a pun on the German word "keuchen," meaning to puff or wheeze.

#11 : Alabama Changes the Value
of Pi

The April 1 998 issue of the New
Mexicans for Science and Reason
newsletter contained an article
claiming that the Alabama state
legislature had voted to change the
value of the mathematical constant
pi from 3.14159 to the 'Biblical value'
of 3.0. Soon the article made its way
onto the internet, and then it rapidly
spread around the world, forwarded
by email. It only became apparent
how far the article had spread when the Alabama legislature began receiving hundreds of
calls from people protesting the legislation. The original article, which was intended as a
parody of legislative attempts to circumscribe the teaching of evolution, was written by
physicist Mark Boslough.

TT = 3.0

Town where boy of 1 1 is 'behind a fifth of all crime'

The Telegraph msn.COm

A boy is single handedly responsible for a rise in crime rate in Shepton Mallet, police say

An 1 1 -year-old boy is believed to have been single-handedly responsible for a fifth of all
crimes in a town.

The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, committed so many offences that police
recorded a 40 per cent rise in crime one month on the previous year.

He is thought to have been responsible for 1 0 of the 50 crimes reported in Shepton Mallet,
Somerset, in November, including criminal damage and arson.

He has received a conditional discharge for seven offences and is due to appear in court to
answer charges on the other three.

The boy is thought to have a troubled home life including a difficult relationship with his
stepfather, with whom his mother also has a child and who recently returned to his native
country.

The boy was recently expelled from his primary school, although the head teacher has
offered him support.

Karen Mercer, who owns a coffee and health food shop, said that she knew the boy and was
very concerned for him.

"As a community, we have the responsibility to help and to guide him, rather than to alienate
and demonise him. He is a bright young boy, he doesn't have to go down this road and if only
one good thing comes from seeing this story in the papers, I hope he is given that help and
guidance to be the best that he can be."

Another woman, who did not want to be named, said: "He is nothing but trouble. He's been a
very naughty boy ever since he was little.

"He abuses us every time he sees us."

Some neighbours have installed CCTV cameras on their properties solely because of the 11-
year-old, she added.

"I would like to see him go somewhere where he is going to meet somebody who will tell him
what is right or wrong."

Another friend said the boy had received no support from his stepfather and was not happy at
home. His mother, described as a kind-hearted woman who would be unlikely to raise her
voice, had tried to instill boundaries but he "outruns" her and escapes, the friend added.

The boy first came to the attention of police last summer. Constable Darren Walton said the

offences took place over a few months but could have been lumped together and recorded
officially in November.

Insp Mark Nicholson, of Wells Police, added: "We fully understand figures do change and one
individual can make a considerable dent in figures. We will continue to remain vigilant."

Ten of November's crimes in Shepton Mallet, a rural town on the edge of the Mendip hills,
were criminal damage or arson, nine were reports of shoplifting, and nine were violent or
sexual offences.

There were four burglaries, two reported drugs offences, five vehicle crimes and one reported
possession of weapons. Neighbours said that over the past six months, police had visited the
boy's home on numerous occasions, the most recent just a few weeks ago.

Travels of Sir John Mandeville

romanization.com

CHAPTER XXX

OF THE ROYAL ESTATE OF PRESTER JOHN. AND OF A RICH MAN THAT MADE A
MARVELLOUS CASTLE AND CLEPED IT PARADISE; AND OF HIS SUBTLETY

THIS emperor, Prester John, holds full great land, and hath many full noble cities and good
towns in his realm, and many great diverse isles and large. For all the country of Ind is
devised in isles for the great floods that come from Paradise, that depart all the land in many
parts. And also in the sea he hath full many isles. And the best city in the Isle of Pentexoire is
Nyse, that is a full royal city and a noble, and full rich.

This Prester John hath under him many kings and many isles and many diverse folk of
diverse conditions. And this land is full good and rich, but not so rich as is the land of the
great Chan. For the merchants come not thither so commonly for to buy merchandises, as
they do in the land of the great Chan, for it is too far to travel to. And on that other part, in the
Isle of Cathay, men find all manner thing that is need to man - cloths of gold, of silk, of spicery
and all manner avoirdupois. And therefore, albeit that men have greater cheap in the Isle of
Prester John, natheles, men dread the long way and the great perils in the sea in those parts.

For in many places of the sea be great rocks of stones of the adamant, that of his proper
nature draweth iron to him. And therefore there pass no ships that have either bonds or nails
of iron within them. And if there do, anon the rocks of the adamants draw them to them, that
never they may go thence. I myself have seen afar in that sea, as though it had been a great
isle full of tree, and buscaylle, full of thorns and briars, great plenty. And the shipmen told us,
that all that was of ships that were drawn thither by the adamants, for the iron that was in
them. And of the rotten-ness, and other thing that was within the ships, grew such buscaylle,
and thorns and briars and green grass, and such manner of thing; and of the masts and the
sail-yards; it seemed a great wood or a grove. And such rocks be in many places thereabout.
And therefore dare not the merchants pass there, but if they know well the passages, or else
that they have good lodesmen.

And also they dread the long way. And therefore they go to Cathay, for it is more nigh. And
yet it is not so nigh, but that men must be travelling by sea and land, eleven months or
twelve, from Genoa or from Venice, or he come to Cathay. And yet is the land of Prester John
more far by many dreadful journeys.

And the merchants pass by the kingdom of Persia, and go to a city that is Clept Hermes, for
Hermes the philosopher founded it. And after that they pass an arm of the sea, and then they
go to another city that is clept Golbache. And there they find merchandises, and of popinjays,
as great plenty as men find here of geese. And if they will pass further, they may go sikerly
enough. In that country is but little wheat or barley, and therefore they eat rice and honey and
milk and cheese and fruit.

This Emperor Prester John taketh always to his wife the daughter of the great Chan; and the

great Chan also, in the same wise, the daughter of Prester John. For these two be the
greatest lords under the firmament.

In the land of Prester John be many diverse things and many precious stones, so great and
so large, that men make of them vessels, as platters, dishes and cups. And many other
marvels be there, that it were too cumbrous and too long to put it in scripture of books; but of
the principal isles and of his estate and of his law, I shall tell you some part.

This Emperor Prester John is Christian, and a great part of his country also. But yet, they
have not all the articles of our faith as we have. They believe well in the Father, in the Son
and in the Holy Ghost. And they be full devout and right true one to another. And they set not
by no barretts, ne by cautels, nor of no deceits.

And he hath under him seventy-two provinces, and in every province is a king. And these
kings have kings under them, and all be tributaries to Prester John. And he hath in his
lordships many great marvels.

For in his country is the sea that men clepe the Gravelly Sea, that is all gravel and sand,
without any drop of water, and it ebbeth and floweth in great waves as other seas do, and it is
never still ne in peace, in no manner season. And no man may pass that sea by navy, ne by
no manner of craft, and therefore may no man know what land is beyond that sea. And albeit
that it have no water, yet men find therein and on the banks full good fish of other manner of
kind and shape, than men find in any other sea, and they be of right good taste and delicious
to man's meat.

And a three journeys long from that sea be great mountains, out of the which goeth out a
great flood that cometh out of Paradise. And it is full of precious stones, without any drop of
water, and it runneth through the desert on that one side, so that it maketh the sea gravelly;
and it beareth into that sea, and there it endeth. And that flome runneth, also, three days in
the week and bringeth with him great stones and the rocks also therewith, and that great
plenty. And anon, as they be entered into the Gravelly Sea, they be seen no more, but lost for
evermore. And in those three days that that river runneth, no man dare enter into it; but in the
other days men dare enter well enough.

Also beyond that flome, more upward to the deserts, is a great plain all gravelly, between the
mountains. And in that plain, every day at the sun-rising, begin to grow small trees, and they
grow till mid-day, bearing fruit; but no man dare take of that fruit, for it is a thing of faerie. And
after mid-day, they decrease and enter again into the earth, so that at the going down of the
sun they appear no more. And so they do, every day. And that is a great marvel.

In that desert be many wild men, that be hideous to look on; for they be horned, and they
speak nought, but they grunt, as pigs. And there is also great plenty of wild hounds. And
there be many popinjays, that they clepe psittakes their language. And they speak of their
proper nature, and salute men that go through the deserts, and speak to them as apertly as
though it were a man. And they that speak well have a large tongue, and have five toes upon
a foot. And there be also of another manner, that have but three toes upon a foot, and they
speak not, or but little, for they can not but cry.

This Emperor Prester John when he goeth into battle against any other lord, he hath no
banners borne before him; but he hath three crosses of gold, fine, great and high, full of
precious stones, and every of those crosses be set in a chariot, full richly arrayed. And for to
keep every cross, be ordained 10,000 men of arms and more than 100,000 men on foot, in
manner as men would keep a standard in our countries, when that we be in land of war. And
this number of folk is without the principal host and without wings ordained for the battle. And
when he hath no war, but rideth with a privy meinie, then he hath borne before him but one
cross of tree, without painting and without gold or silver or precious stones, in remembrance
that Jesu Christ suffered death upon a cross of tree. And he hath borne before him also a
platter of gold full of earth, in token that his noblesse and his might and his flesh shall turn to
earth. And he hath borne before him also a vessel of silver, full of noble jewels of gold full rich
and of precious stones, in token of his lordship and of his noblesse and of his might.

He dwelleth commonly in the city of Susa. And there is his principal palace, that is so rich and
so noble, that no man will trow it by estimation, but he had seen it. And above the chief tower
of the palace be two round pommels of gold, and in everych of them be two carbuncles great
and large, that shine full bright upon the night. And the principal gates of his palace be of
precious stone that men clepe sardonyx, and the border and the bars be of ivory. And the
windows of the halls and chambers be of crystal. And the tables whereon men eat, some be
of emeralds, some of amethyst, and some of gold, full of precious stones; and the pillars that
bear up the tables be of the same precious stones. And the degrees to go up to his throne,
where he sitteth at the meat, one is of onyx, another is of crystal, and another of jasper green,
another of amethyst, another of sardine, another of cornelian, and the seventh, that he setteth
on his feet, is of chrysolite. And all these degrees be bordered with fine gold, with the tother
precious stones, set with great pearls orient. And the sides of the siege of his throne be of
emeralds, and bordered with gold full nobly, and dubbed with other precious stones and great
pearls. And all the pillars in his chamber be of fine gold with precious stones, and with many
carbuncles, that give great light upon the night to all people. And albeit that the carbuncles
give light right enough, natheles, at all times burneth a vessel of crystal full of balm, for to give
good smell and odour to the emperor, and to void away all wicked airs and corruptions. And
the form of his bed is of fine sapphires, bended with gold, for to make him sleep well and to
refrain him from lechery; for he will not lie with his wives, but four sithes in the year, after the
four seasons, and that is only for to engender children.

He hath also a full fair palace and a noble at the city of Nyse, where that he dwelleth, when
him best liketh; but the air is not so attempre, as it is at the city of Susa.

And ye shall understand, that in all his country nor in the countries there all about, men eat
not but once in the day, as they do in the court of the great Chan. And so they eat every day
in his court, more than 30,000 persons, without goers and comers. But the 30,000 persons of
his country, ne of the country of the great Chan, ne spend not so much good as do 1 2,000 of
our country.

This Emperor Prester John hath evermore seven kings with him to serve him, and they depart
their service by certain months. And with these kings serve always seventy-two dukes and
three hundred and sixty earls. And all the days of the year, there eat in his household and in

his court, twelve archbishops and twenty bishops. And the patriarch of Saint Thomas is there
as is the pope here. And the archbishops and the bishops and the abbots in that country be
all kings. And everych of these great lords know well enough the attendance of their service.
The one is master of his household, another is his chamberlain, another serveth him of a
dish, another of the cup, another is steward, another is marshal, another is prince of his arms,
and thus is he full nobly and royally served. And his land dureth in very breadth four month's
journeys, and in length out of measure, that is to say, all isles under earth that we suppose to
be under us.

Beside the isle of Pentexoire, that is the land of Prester John, is a eat isle, long and broad,
that men clepe Mistorak; and it is in the lordship of Prester John. In that isle is great plenty of
goods.

There was dwelling, sometime, a rich man; and it is not long since; and men clept him
Gatholonabes. And he was full of cautels and of subtle deceits. And he had a full fair castle
and a strong in a mountain, so strong and so noble, that no man could devise a fairer ne
stronger. And he had let mure all the mountain about with a strong wall and a fair. And within
those walls he had the fairest garden that any man might behold. And therein were trees
bearing all manner of fruits, that any man could devise. And therein were also all manner
virtuous herbs of good smell, and all other herbs also that bear fair flowers. And he had also
in that garden many fair wells; and beside those wells he had let make fair halls and fair
chambers, depainted all with gold and azure; and there were in that place many diverse
things, and many diverse stories; and of beasts, and of birds that sung full delectably and
moved by craft, that it seemed that they were quick. And he had also in his garden all manner
of fowls and of beasts that any man might think on, for to have play or sport to behold them.

And he had also, in that place, the fairest damsels that might be found, under the age of
fifteen years, and the fairest young striplings that men might get, of that same age. And all
they were clothed in cloths of gold, full richly. And he said that those were angels.

And he had also let make three wells, fair and noble and all environed with stone of jasper, of
crystal, diapered with gold, and set with precious stones and great orient pearls. And he had
made a conduit under earth, so that the three wells, at his list, one should run milk, another
wine and another honey. And that place he clept Paradise.

And when that any good knight, that was hardy and noble, came to see this royalty, he would
lead him into his paradise, and show him these wonderful things to his disport, and the
marvellous and delicious song of diverse birds, and the fair damsels, and the fair wells of
milk, of wine and of honey, plenteously running. And he would let make divers instruments of
music to sound in an high tower, so merrily, that it was joy for to hear; and no man should see
the craft thereof. And those, he said, were angels of God, and that place was Paradise, that
God had behight to his friends, saying, DABO VOBIS TERRAM FLUENTEM LACTE ET
MELLE. And then would he make them to drink of certain drink, whereof anon they should be
drunk. And then would them think greater delight than they had before. And then would he
say to them, that if they would die for him and for his love, that after their death they should
come to his paradise; and they should be of the age of those damosels, and they should play

with them, and yet be maidens. And after that yet should he put them in a fairer paradise,
where that they should see God of nature visibly, in his majesty and in his bliss. And then
would he shew them his intent, and say them, that if they would go slay such a lord, or such a
man that was his enemy or contrarious to his list, that they should not dread to do it and for to
be slain therefore themselves. For after their death, he would put them into another paradise,
that was an hundred-fold fairer than any of the tother; and there should they dwell with the
most fairest damosels that might be, and play with them ever-more.

And thus went many diverse lusty bachelors for to slay great lords in diverse countries, that
were his enemies, and made themselves to be slain, in hope to have that paradise. And thus,
often-time, he was revenged of his enemies by his subtle deceits and false cautels.

And when the worthy men of the country had perceived this subtle falsehood of this
Gatholonabes, they assembled them with force, and assailed his castle, and slew him, and
destroyed all the fair places and all the nobilities of that paradise. The place of the wells and
of the walls and of many other things be yet apertly seen, but the riches is voided clean. And
it is not long gone, since that place was destroyed.

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Turkish religious body: Toilet paper allowed by Islam

upi.com

"There is no problem in using toilet paper," the Directorate of Religious Affairs, or Diyanet,
said in the fatwa.

By Ben Hooper | April 7, 2015 at 12:41 PM

; ANKARA, T urkey, April 7 (UPI) -- T urkey's top religious authority announced toilet paper use
is permissible in Islam, but water is the preferred method of cleansing.

The Directorate of Religious Affairs, or Diyanet, issued a fatwa stating water is the preferred
method of cleaning oneself after using the commode, but toilet paper is an acceptable
substitute if a water source is unavailable.

"If water cannot be found for cleansing, other cleaning materials can be used. Even though
some sources deem paper to be unsuitable as a cleaning material, as it is an apparatus for
writing, there is no problem in using toilet paper," Diyanet said in the statement.

©2015 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, repubiication, redistribution and/or
modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPl's prior written consent.

U-65 Submarine Cursed

contactoparanormal.org

Normally we hear That supernatural stories take
place in buildings, cemeteries, etc. The today
has a less Known and common scene, a
submarine war. Welcome aboard the U-65 .

From 1871 Until 1919, the German Empire
developed an Important marine industry Intended
for military use. This Important Group Became
Known as " Kaiserliche Marine "or Imperial
Navy was born with the intent of Kaiser Wilhelm II of winning fleet to the British
Empire.

In 1916, at the shipyard in
Hamburg, Were Being Built to
Increase esta fleet, 6 combat
submarines would numbered from
U-60 to U-65, and Should engage in
combat in World War 1. Were
completed in 1917, but since
construction STI , one of them, the
U-65 Began to forge a black legend
based on a string of strange and
unexplained Deaths .

One of the
workers Who
Were building
was hit by a
beam

designed to
cover long,
and died in
1916.

A few months

later, after Being completed, January 26, 1917, was Moved to try to open it, three
crew Were trapped and suffocated in the engine room, the Allegedly jammed the
door, more than strange, Because When Mechanical Went to Investigate, the door

opened without any difficulty.

Days later, in a joint maneuvers with two other submarines of the same type,
another strange event occurred. The captain ordered a sailor inspection hatches
and cover before making a dive. The sea was calm and not blowing a breeze, and
watch terrified, saw the sailor quietly, and without a word, Began to walk around
the deck and Jumped into the water next to the swirl of the propellers.

After the shock, and to report the "accident," the captain
continued maneuvering and sent plunging the ship, but
the submarine does not respond, and Begins to sink
uncontrollably Until bottoming, Which continued for 12
hours. The terrified and the ghost of the curse for
Everything That Happened in Their Heads, is confident
That They will die from falta de oxygen, but in the same
strange way it sank, crew goes out alone Almost afloat
When the air was exhausted.

The submarine returned to the shipyard for repair of
collision With The background. In the machinery system is
nothing abnormal detected, and in a few days, the submarine is of declared valid
for the service, but in the process together again, to torpedo explodes When hit ,
taking the lives of an officer and eight seamen.

The sailors refused to embark again
facing a court martial, They Said That
esta submarine was haunted.
Something strange must have seen the high command, then a few days later sent
for a priest to exorcise the ship.

The crew embarked terrified, and
testimonies of sailors WHO saw the
officer killed idly on the cover shot. The
fear was Such That When arriving at
Dover , in combat, the crew chose to
land under the bombs Before They go
on board. Nothing more down to earth,
the captain died hit by shrapnel.

But the curse or bad luck stayed on board. That same night, a gunner fainted
upon seeing the officer killed crossed arms on deck again, and in the morning a

sailor found dead after Committing
Suicide and in the engine room, an
accident broke the leg of another
sailor.

The black legend of U-65 Was
known THROUGHOUT the German
armed and Had an end just as
strange That His
mysterious life, since only
four months of the end of
the war, on July 18, 1918,
and while Emerged, was
Intercepted by the
enemy, an American
submarine called L-2 ,
near Ireland.

The American captain, before giving the order to launch a torpedo, saw something
strange on deck, and Its transcript Stated That it was a man with arms folded,
similar to Ghost several sailors strangely Claimed to Have Seen.

Do not give Importance I DECIDED to give the order to "fire", but without whos
doing so, the U-65 blew up. The captain ran to find the person responsible for
opening fire without His order, but found That does not torpedo HAD Been fired ,
so even in the end His escape Seemed mysterious underwater mystery.

After the testimony of several sailors
American journalist Edgar Cayce , the investigation uncovered many testimonies

The issue was Settled Porla Imperial
Navy lost 34 lives With His blast, but
months later, after the war, Were
testimonies of several sailors Who Had
deserted from the U-65 and That Told
How They saw strange lights in the
interior, another even Claimed HAD a
cold hand touched His face, and like
most of it the crew HAD Requested
transfer to another submarine.

That Were added. Simultaneously and to quell rumors, marine issued an
alternative report submarine missions in Which refused everything.

Most of the Movements of the "new" report, Had Never Existed, DESPITE
Admitting That "sometime in the submarine HAD made unexplained maneuvers
beyond the knowledge of STIs Control and experienced crew."

We can only know if somewhere in
the ocean is still the U-65 as a
ghost and his arms crossed officer
on deck ship.

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8:00AM BST 21 Jun 2013

telegraph.co.uk

UFO files: Rendlesham Forest incident remains Britain’s most tantalising sighting

Newly released UFO files from the National Archives show that the UK’s most
enduringly fascinating sighting remains the Rendlesham Forest incident, in 1980,
when US servicemen reported encounters with aliens in Suffolk woodland.

He said that “almost half of all UFO
correspondence directed at defence
officials, relates to request for
information, or “tip-offs" about the
33-year-old incident.

“It is the one case that is

outstanding, from all the sightings

Exactly what occured in Rendlesham Forest has been the subject of fierce QQj^Q back 40 or 50 vears ” he
debate, but some of the men have since said they saw an alien spacecraft a
Exactly what occured in Rendlesham Forest has been the subject of fierce odded.
debate, but some of the men have since said they saw an alien spacecraft

Photo: Aiamy Photo: Aiamy “There is no way you will be able to

get to the truth of what happened because like a snowball rolling down the hill, the stories
have been more and more embellished.”

Dr David Clarke, who has analysed
all the documents, said it was topic
that recurred far more than any
other in the files.

The incident involved a group of American servicemen stationed at military bases in Suffolk
who went into the forest to investigate mysterious lights.

Exactly what occured next has been the subject of fierce debate, but some of the men have
since said they saw an alien spacecraft, with one of those involved later claiming to have
touched it.

Various attempts have been made to explain the incident, with theories ranging from an
elaborate hoax, to the men being confused by lights from a nearby lighthouse. However, it
remains a source of fascination for Ufologists.

Among the newly released National Archives files is a document - which the MoD says insists
is a fraud - which describes aliens encountered in the forest.

The document, on what appears to be official departmental paper, reports that the “entities”
were “approximately 1 1/2 meters tall, wearing what appeared to be nylon coated pressure
suits, but no helmets”.

They were apparently “hovering above ground level” and were recorded speaking in and

electronically synthesised version of English, with a strong American accent”.

They were said to have had “claw-like hands and with three fingers and an opposable
thumb.”

The government’s official position - repeatedly stated in the files - is that the incident was
investigated at the time by the MoD and RAF and the conclusion was that there was no
indication the UK’s air defences were breached.

Although many subsequent claims have been made about what happened that night, the
MoD says that “nothing has emerged over the last quarter of a century which has given us
reason to believe that the original assessment made by this Department was incorrect”.

The UK sighting attracting the second most attention is the Cosford Incident, in 1993, when a
number of people reported seeing strange lights in the sky.

Researchers have since explained the sightings as being a Russian rocket and a police
helicopter, although some remain unconvinced.

UFO fireball releases orb over California (Video)

exammer.com

A spectacular UFO video, posted to YouT ube on Jan. 5, shows a fireball burning through the
skies over California as a glowing orb is released and hurtles in the opposite direction. The
unidentified flying object may be just another meteor burning up in the atmosphere, but the
strange orb-like object which is emitted seems to be under intelligent control. What is it?

Ken Roberts @YouTube

In the video above, taken by a
startled witness named Ken
Roberts as he was driving in
Southern California, the
fireball can be seen streaking
through the sky as it heads to
the ground. That's when the
unidentified flying object
seems to eject a glowing,
white orb, which takes off in
the opposite direction. The
strange behavior of the second object is leading to speculation that the UFO is ejecting an
escape pod, possibly even containing crew members.

Of course, the logical explanation could be that the fireball is actually an airplane, or jet, in the
death throes of a crash landing. But, so far, no news of an airplane crash, whether military or
civilian, have been reported, leading some to conclude the aircraft, if that is what it is, may not
be of Earth origin. The video, showing about 30 seconds of the fireball's descent, cuts off
abruptly, with the final two minutes showing nothing but a black screen.

In the last few years, images of fireballs have become more common, mirroring the rise of
personal video and citizen journalism, and caught most spectacularly by dozens of residents
in and around Chelyabinsk, Russia, who filmed a meteor exploding in the atmosphere, mostly
on dashboard mounted video cams, nearly two years ago. And, more recently, thousands of
eyewitnesses saw a fireball hurtling over the East Coast, with a lucky few catching the drama
on camera.

However, it seems this is the first time a video has captured what looks like an object hurtling
away from the meteor and, improbably, in the opposite direction of the UFO's flight path. As
Ken Roberts explains in the description of the video, the UFO "Couldn't have been a plane
cause there was no noise. And I never heard a crash after either. The Orb thing flew straight
up into the sky and disappeared."

12:01PM BST 07 Apr 201 5

telegraph.co.uk

Wednesday 08 April 2015

UK's biggest Second World War air raid shelter reveals life on Home Front

Tunnels dug into cliffs along River Mersey in Stockport held up to 6,500 people and
were state of the art in 1930s Britain, with electric lighting and flush toilets

The caverns attracted terrified victims of the Blitz from across Cheshire
and Lancashire at the height of the Second World War The caverns
attracted terrified victims of the Blitz from across Cheshire and Lancashire
at the height of the Second World War Photo: Dan Rowlands/Mercury
Photo: Dan Rowlands/Mercury

The UK’s biggest purpose-built air
raid shelter gives a glimpse at
wartime life on the Home Front in
Britain.

Tunnels dug into sandstone cliffs,
running alongside the River Mersey
in Stockport, could hold up to 6,500
people and were state of the art -
with electric lighting and flush
toilets.

The caverns attracted terrified
victims of the Blitz from across
Cheshire and Lancashire at the
height of the Second World War.

The shelters were so popular the council had to introduce season tickets in a bid to dampen
demand, although historians said no one was ever turned away.

Howard Green, the museum's duty
officer, said: "Chestergate, the
street outside was busiest east-west
routet the town; even at the levels
of 1930s traffic it was too narrow.
The long term was to cover over the
River Mersey, which is where the
M62 is.

"But in the interim, they decided to
buy properties there and demolish
them for widening and
straightening.

"A lot of the older properties backing into the cliff had cellars and it seemed a pity to seal
them up. There were things to be done, so there was talk of joining them together as an
underground car park.

Photo: Dan Rowlands/Mercury

"The other thing was that in the lead up to the Second World War, local authorities had to
establish public air raid shelters in towns.

"So they decided to join cellars together, get the grant for the air raid shelters, then they could
get the money back twice by letting out the parking spaces."

Unfortunately for the council at the
time, the car park proved impossible
after the engineering survey.

Mr Green said: "The official capacity
was 3,850, so outside they painted
4,000, but what they didn't advertise
was that they thought they could
squeeze twice as many in if needs
be.

"They were used extensively by
people from Manchester and
Salford, and even as far as Eccles.

"Stockport was less of a target, and the underground shelters were a particularly safe place,
so they came on a regular basis, what they did was introduce season tickets, they were
issued to locals, although you could write in if you had difficult circumstances. We still have
some letters from people in Manchester who'd been bombed out several times.

"It was really only a way of damping
down demand, nobody was denied
entrance in an alert.

"In the winter of 1940 and 41 , it
went up to 6,500, with another four
sets of tunnel shelters. Once they
had the format right, it was
something that could be done
elsewhere in the town, where they
could get into red sandstone.

"If you know where to look you can
see the blocked up tunnels of one
set of shelters on the other side, where the M62 goes through Stockport; further back into
hillside, you can see the tunnel cut short and bricked off.

"People are always surprised by is the extent of them, and just how much thought and
planning went into them, we've had German visitors saying our government did nothing as
elaborate.

Photo: Dan Rowiands/Mercury

Photo: Dan RowiandsA/tercury

"There were first aid posts, electric lighting and flush toilets, which people living in back to
back cottages of town centres wouldn't have had at home.”

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Uncovering the plague pit beneath London's streets

pn.org

March 28, 2015 ■ 1:30 PM EDT
Producer Leo Hornak

Archaeologists begin main excavation of Broadgate ticket hall_ March 2015_188470.jpg

o7T<

77?e bodies of thousands of Londoners, including plague victims, lie in the
Bedlam Burial Ground. Credit: Courtesy of Crossrail

a sample bag next to a handful of vertebrae; an archeologist
surrounding a jawbone.

London’s Bedlam Burial Ground
looks almost like any other
inner-city construction site.
Workers in bright jackets and
safety helmets mill purposefully
about, comparing
measurements and clearing
earth.

But look closer and it's clear that
something unusual is
happening: A pair of thigh bones
poke up through newly exposed
soil; a human skull, complete
with a few yellowing teeth, sits in
painstakingly brushes at the dirt

This patch of ground was part of one of the greatest tragedies in London’s history: the Great
Plague of 1 665. T ens of thousands of Londoners perished during the outbreak, as much as
20 percent of the city's population by some estimates.

As demand for burial spaces began to outstrip space in churchyards, the Bedlam Burial
Ground, already in use for many years, became the final resting place of many plague
victims.

The site is now at the center of London’s financial district, the kind of valuable real estate that
would normally be unavailable for an archaeological dig. But through a quirk of public
planning, it has briefly been cleared as the area is prepared for the construction of Crossrail,
a new rail link across the city.

Bob Carver, the chief archaeologist at the site, sees the project as a chance to reconnect with
a tragic period of history. “This research is a window into one of the most turbulent periods of
London’s past," he says. "These people lived through civil wars, the Restoration,
Shakespeare’s plays, the birth of modern industry, plague and the Great Fire.”

Part of the project is medical as well as historical. Modern sampling techniques allow
information about plague bacteria to be extracted from the bones at the burial ground. One

hope is that by comparing samples from Bedlam's plague victims with modern examples of
bubonic plague, scientists will learn more about the evolution of epidemic diseases.

This is only the first stage of the excavation. Below the burial ground are even older eras in
London’s history. A Roman road is known to lie underneath the exposed ground, and the site
has already yielded cremation urns, horseshoes and coins.

But in just a few months, the bones, coins and horseshoes will disappear
again. Archaeologists will make way for actual construction workers building the next stage in
the city's history. Where a Roman road once helped commuters to Londinium, a ticket hall will
help 21st-century Londoners travel to and from their city.

1 Comment

i wonder what germs they will release on top of that from that age ? fun qu to ask they do not
stay dead in the ground you know . they just wait for the right host to come around for them
.... as they said " evolution of epidemic diseases."

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1/11/2015

Uncovering twenty-five century-old mystery behind ancient Greek coins

Uncovering twenty-five century-old mystery behind ancient Greek
coins

phys.org

Jan 06, 2015

Researchers at Macquarie University's Australian Centre
for Ancient Numismatic Studies (ACANS) have joined
forces with scientists from the Australian Nuclear Science
and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), on a joint
research program to solve a twenty-five century-old
mystery behind the technology used to produce a special
variety of ancient Greek coins.

First minted around 540 BC in the cities of Southern Italy
(modern Basilicata and Calabria), incuse coins show the
same image on the front and back - but the image on the
back is sunk into the metal so that it appears as a

Twenty-five century-old mystery uncovered

negative or incuse version of the front.

The mysterious technique of manufacture, which appears to be quite difficult to execute, has
attracted a good deal of discussion but it has never been satisfactorily explained. We do
know, however, that these cities continued to mint these coins for over a century.

There are no surviving contemporary accounts of ancient coin manufacture, and no
illustrations. Only three or four of the dies once used for striking coins in ancient Greek mints
survive today. Therefore, what we know about the earliest history of coin minting is derived
from a study of the coins themselves.

With the emerging science of neutron scattering, the use of neutron diffraction to improve our
understanding of the techniques of ancient coin manufacture is just beginning, and the
ANSTO/ACANS study is among the first.

"Our aim is to explore the technology behind the production of one of the world's first
coinages," explains Dr Vladimir Luzin, Instrument Scientist at ANSTO.

"In particular, our objective is to explain the very singular technology and processes for
minting incuse coins."

Bringing the past into the future

"ANSTO's neutron scattering texture measurements will provide insight into the mechanical
processes undertaken to create the coins," explains Associate Professor Kenneth Sheedy,
Director of ACANS.

"Numismatists from ACANS will then infer the production steps undertaken to produce these
coins using knowledge of ancient materials and equipment that were available at the time."

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ANSTO's Bragg Institute leads Australia in the use of neutron scattering and X-ray techniques
to solve complex research and industrial problems in many important fields.

Although measurements of coins using neutron texture analysis have been implemented
before, a systematic and full-scale study to set a benchmark is unique to this project.

Mutual partnership benefits

Macquarie University's Numismatic Centre holds one of the finest collections of South Italian
coins in the world (there are 1267 coins specimens in the Gale donation). This research
partnership with ANSTO will help to enrich the Centre's knowledge of this important university
resource.

There is also the opportunity for ANSTO and Macquarie University's Faculty of Arts' to
partner on future research ventures engaging both staff and students, and also projects
linked to Macquarie University's new Bachelor of Archaeology degree.

Besides providing a solution to a twenty-five century-old mystery, it is anticipated that this
collaboration will benefit the community in the area of cultural heritage. There is a strong
Australian and global interest in the ancient world and in particular, a fascination with the
material culture of antiquity.

"By collaborating with enterprises such as ACANS, ANSTO can help to further the
understanding of ancient civilisations which enables us to better understand how the human
race interacts with the world around it," says Mr Scott Olsen, Scientific Operations Group
Leader and Quality Coordinator for the Bragg Institute.

Explore further: Ancient coins found in Greece's mystery tomb

Provided by ANSTO

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Underground Radiation Leak Caused By Cat Litter

sky.com

The cat litter used to soak up liquid in barrels of nuclear waste at a US site was the wrong
type - causing an accident.

10:59, UK, Friday 27March 2015

A radiation leak at an underground nuclear waste dump was partially caused by cat litter
used to soak up contaminated liquid inside the barrels.

A drum of waste containing radioisotopes including plutonium was incorrectly packaged with
the wrong sort of cat litter.

Scientists say the ensuing reaction caused the barrel to heat up, generating gases that
pushed off its lid.

The incident happened on 14 February 2014 around half a mile below ground at the site in
New Mexico.

The findings were revealed in a new report by the US Energy Department.

Some 22 workers were exposed to radiation but the amount received was not life threatening.

Key operations at the site - the only permanent underground depository for radiological waste
from US nuclear laboratories and weapons sites - were indefinitely suspended.

New Mexico fined the Energy Department $54m (£36m) as a result of the accident.

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Undertaker collapsed in shock when 'dead' woman woke up and

asked ’Where am I?' mirror.co.uk

Undertaker collapsed in shock when 'dead' woman woke up and asked 'Where am I?'

• 22:49, 24 March 2015

• By Allan Hall

The 92-year-old had been pronounced dead by a doctor at her care home

Shock: An undertaker in Gelsenkirchen Germany passed out when a body suddenly came
back to life

An undertaker in Germany passed out in shock when a coffin lid slid open and the "dead"
woman inside groaned: "Where am I?"

The 92-year-old had been pronounced dead hours earlier by a doctor at a retirement home in
the city of Gelsenkirchen and taken to the Munstermann funeral parlour.

When the funeral director recovered he saw the old woman lying in the coffin with both eyes
open.

After checking her pulse, he called an ambulance which rushed to the scene to take the
woman back to a local hospital.

Investigation: A police probe has been
launched in the City of Gelsenkirchen in
Germany

A police probe has begun into the
nurses and a doctor who pronounced
her dead on Sunday evening.

According to reports, the woman was
found in bed at the nursing home by a
carer, who thought she had stopped
breathing.

A doctor was called and they
pronounced the woman dead before she was taken away by an undertaker.

The head of the retirement home where she lived, Lother Burger, said: "This is terrible and
inexplicable.

"We are being devoured by the press, we are being pilloried."

Her family have been informed that she is still alive.

City of Gelsenkirchen in Germany

07/04

thelocal.de

Unusual refugees flee to east
Germany

Published: 07 Apr 2015 12:07
GMT+02:00

Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania may not be the
ideal destination for refugees
threatened with extinction in
their own land. But one
distinctive feathered flock has
found a home in the north-
eastern state despite the

They have almost died out in their native habitat in Brazil and Argentina, but the American
Rhea has managed to settle in northern Germany, with the population more than doubling
between 2008 and 2015 from around 60 to over 140.

Frank Phillip, an environmental planner who has been tracking the species since 2008, told
The Local that the flightless Rhea first entered the German wild when they escaped from a
private enclosure near Lubeck in the late 1990s.

From there they crossed the narrow river Wakenitz from Schleswig Holstein into
Meckelnburg-Vorpommen.

The enclosures were particularly badly maintained, leading to several jailbreaks over a
decade until they were closed in 2008.

The birds, which at maturity can grow to be 1.6 metres tall and run at speeds of 60 km/h, are
hunted for their meat in South America, leading to declining numbers.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's environment is quite similar to that of South America,
Phillip explained, with the only danger they face being cold winters.

“If it wasn't for two cold winters [between 2008 and now] their numbers would be much
higher.”

But as content as the birds seem with their adopted homeland, locals are less pleased.

Petra Bottcher, chair of the farmers union for north-west Mecklenburg, claims that the Rhea
are damaging agriculture, reports N-tv.

“They eat the rape seeds and trample them underfoot,” she complained.

The farmers want to be allowed to keep the numbers in check.

“You're not allowed to shoo them away, you've just got to put up with them on your fields,”
said Bottcher.

But for Phillip, complaints that the Rhea damage the native landscape are “unfounded
rumours.”

The Rhea can find a “long-term home” in Mecklenburg, he said.

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Unveiling the Truth Behind the Cannock Chase
Slenderman

Ritoban Mukherjee Become a fan Founder and Editor at Ail About Occult

hjffingtonpost.com

Posted: 01/30/2015 12:28 pm EST Updated: 02/20/2015 5:59 pm EST

Whether it is the highly publicized
pre-teen stabbing in Wisconsin or
the wave of other Slenderman-
obsessed crimes of psychopathy
that followed, Slender Man never
rests. Be it from his nightly activities
of pulling the strings behind all that
is evil, or just from our own pop-
culture, he is there. And now he is
back, in the form of a wave of
sightings of dark, tall creatures in
the Cannock Chase area of Britain.
Should the witnesses be believed?
Or should they be dismissed as just

"I was awoken just before 2am by an odd scratching noise in my bedroom. To my
astonishment, there was what seemed like a sphere-shaped shadow by the edge
of my wardrobe. As I tried to get out of bed and investigate further, the shadow
began to stretch towards the ceiling. It was at that point I found myself faced with
the most disgusting and horrific creature imaginable. It was about eight feet tall
and had a white face with razor-sharp fangs."

-Householder from Pye Green.

"As my eyes opened, I saw a man floating over me. I could see into his eyes.

They were a fierce red colour that shook me to my very core. The ordeal ended
when the man, who was completely dressed in black with a hat to match, floated
higher and higher until he hit my ceiling and disappeared."

-Local resident, Slitting Mill, Rugeley.

"It appeared to rise out of the trees and hover over the path around 1 00m in front
of me. It was very dark, but I could see it clearly because of the lights coming from
Rugeley. It was also a pretty clear night. If I were to compare it to anything, I
would say it looked like a stereotypical Victorian gentleman - long, black overcoat
with a homburg hat. I know this was no flying human because it had blood red
eyes that shone in the night sky. It also had a mouth full of teeth that seemed to
look like razors. Whatever it was, it stopped hovering and descended back into the
trees. Needless to say, I did not investigate any further."

2015-0 1 -29-siender_man_by_chineseninjad5vohpv.jpg

another bunch of over-imaginative folk?

-Explorer guy, Castle Ring.

This and a host of other similar reports have surfaced from Cannock Chase in the last few
days around the end of December and the days following, according to paranormal
investigator Lee Brickley, who claims to have personally documented these sightings by
verbal communication with the witnesses. He says he is convinced that they're not lying, and
that these may well be real-life reports of the mythical Slender Man.

But can that be? Savvy netizens know well enough that Slenderman is an urban myth, a
creature created in a Photoshop thread in the Something Awful Forums. But if that is so, what
is this mystery creature that is appearing to these people?

Moi has an opinion. It seems that these sightings less in sync with the mythical Slenderman
and more similar to the real-life reports of the alleged "shadow person".

A shadow person (also known as a shadow figure, shadow being or black mass)
is the perception of a patch of shadow as a living, humanoid figure, particularly as
interpreted by believers in the supernatural as the presence of a malevolent entity.

-Wikipedia

Unlike Slenderman, the shadow people have been sighted by a large number of witnesses
around the globe, and these sightings have been documented by multiple investigators. The
shadow people have been variously described as wearing a hat, being red-eyed and even
having teeth. Following the sightings, people have even reported symptoms of sleep
paralysis. Thus, what today seems to be the ramblings of the Slenderman-obsessed common
population may well be documented sightings of shadow people.

As I've not communicated with the witnesses personally, it'll be unfair of me to judge whether
or not they are telling the truth. As always, I neither support the claims nor deny them, I prefer
to remain largely neutral. Since I haven’t been part of the actual investigation, I cannot form a
conclusion of it, I can only humbly guess.

However, do not hesitate to share your thoughts! Make use of the comments section below!
Are these witnesses telling the truth? Is there any reality in the Slenderman of Cannock
Chase?

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1/11/2015

U SA: C hasi ng the ghost of Edgar Al I an Poe - T ravel - NZ H eral d N ews

USA: Chasing the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe - Travel - NZ

Herald News nzherald.co.nz

By George Gonzalez

3:30 PM Tuesday Jan 6, 2015

George Gonzalez visits two sites linked to the mysterious mastermind of American
horror.

The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, houses many ofPoe's letters and personal effects.
Photo / Creative Commons image by Wikimedia user Albrecht Conz

After travelling from
Richmond, Virginia, to
his home in New
York, Poe, known for
his short fiction and
poetry, was found

delirious in Baltimore, wearing someone else's clothes. He was taken to a nearby hospital,
where after several days he died from unverifiable causes.

Because of the grisly
and often mysterious
themes in Edgar Allan
Poe's writing, his
death in 1849 remains
one of the most
enduring mysteries in
American literature.

The author, poet, editor, literary critic and early practitioner of mystery, horror, science-fiction
and detective writing was dead at 40.

Readers interested in re-creating Poe's final trip are in luck, as two museums in Baltimore
and Richmond serve to bookend possibly the most macabre literary trail in the mid-Atlantic.

Richmond, Virginia

Poe, who spent much of his youth in Richmond, has many links to the present-day city.

When the building that once housed the Southern Literary Messenger, an arts publication for
which Poe served as editor and critic, was demolished, the Poe Museum salvaged enough of
the bricks to build a modest shrine to the author.

The shrine stands in the museum's backyard garden, near what was once a booming district
of manufacturing and slave trafficking but is now a burgeoning neighbourhood of lofts and
restaurants.

Poe never lived on the museum's grounds, but the city's mix of artsy eclecticism and solemn

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1/11/2015

U SA: C hasi ng the ghost of Edgar Al I an Poe - T ravel - NZ H eral d N ews

history is reflected in the museum's collection of Poe artefacts. Inside is an exhibit that
speculates on the true identity of Annabel Lee, the subject and title of one of his most famous
poems, and a lock of the author's hair. (Poe completed his only novel, The Narrative of Arthur
Gordon Pym of Nantucket, while living in Richmond.)

Many of Poe's letters and personal effects are also on display, including an iconic
daguerreotype. The image is infamous (taken four days after a suicide attempt), and you can't
help but study the holographic detail of his moustache and dishevelled hair, or his eyes as
they stare past you.

Baltimore, Maryland

There's a punny opening to an episode of The Wire in which the set-up question is, "Where's
the Poe House?"

Well, the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum is in west Baltimore. (The punchline is,

"Look around. Take your pick.")

The house is sparsely appointed with items that belonged to the author: a telescope, a chair
and a lap desk. The house retains its original floors, fireplace mantels and walls. Standing
inside, you get an idea of the cold and cramped conditions favourable to long periods of
rumination and writing.

The Poe Museum in Richmond,
Virginia, houses many of Poe's letters
and personal effects. Photo / Creative
Commons image by Wikimedia user
Albrecht Conz

The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore,
Maryland. Photo / Thinkstock

Poe lived here in his 20s with family members, including his
cousin and future wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm. A few of Poe's
works were penned in the house, including MS. Found in a
Bottle and The Visionary.

The house's top section is a low-ceilinged, spade-shaped room
fashioned into a writer's space. This was where Poe most likely
slept and worked.

To see it, you must scale a narrow stairway that twists, and as
you climb, your breathing quickens, and you surprise yourself
by needing to reach out and brace against the walls for comfort.

- Washington Post

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Vampire legend came to life in 1734

By Jim Willard Posted: 04/02/2015 10:10:30 PM MOT

Posted: 04/02/2015 10:10:30 pm mdt re porte rhe raid .com

The last time I saw a vampire on the screen I was 10 years old.

My Dad took me to see "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." They not only met Frankenstein, they
met the Wolfman and Dracula.

At age 10, it scared the bleep out of me. Apparently the fright has lasted ever since that time. I've
avoided seeing any of the new genre of vampire films.

The previews hint that some of them love others of their kind and even humans. I don't know about you
but I've always been reluctant to kiss any woman who has notable fangs.

So, I'm guessing that I wouldn't really enjoy any of the "Twilight" saga — presumably they're darker than
that.

However, the reception of those films {and their cute actors) made me curious enough to research the
background of vampires.

Let's begin with a definition: a vampire is a mythical being who subsists by feeding on the life essence
{typically blood) of living creatures.

The "Oxford English Dictionary" lists the first appearance of the English word "vampire" {as "vampyre")
from 1734.

The root word was probably "vampyr" from the Hungarian as a "spirit who feasts upon the living." I'd
have been OK with "feeds," feasts suggests more than I'd like to imagine.

Vampire legends seem to have sprung from the Balkan states but the Mesopotamians, Ancient Greeks,
Romans and Hebrews all had folklore of demons and spirits that are considered precursors to modern
vampires.

Today's cute, fanged kids (in the films) bear little resemblance to the elements common to European
legends. Those vampires were reported as bloated in appearance, and dark, purplish in color.
Sometimes blood was seen seeping from their chops.

The causes of vampire generation varied with the country of origin. Slavic tradition suggested that any
corpse that was jumped over by an animal (particularly a dog or cat) had the possibility of becoming one
of the undead. Let's move on without illustration.

Warding off vampires is possible through the application of garlic — also good for warding off fanged
dates.

Sprinkling mustard seeds on the roof of a house is another possibility — it's uncertain how often this
must be done.

If those tactics don't work then consider how to destroy a vampire. Staking {not steaking, especially with
rare meat) is a common method in Slavic cultures; ash or hawthorn wood are good if you have them on
hand.

Hard to believe that during the 18th century there was a frenzy of vampire sightings in Eastern Europe
accompanied by stakings and grave diggings to ensure the occupants didn't return for seconds.

The sophisticated and charismatic vampire most of us grew up with (figuratively) stems from the 1819
publication of "The Vampyre" by John Polidori. However, Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" from 1897 is
considered the quintessential vampire novel and provided the basis of the modern vampire legend.

Bela Lugosi embodied that look in his 1940 films and it was enough to scare me. I refrained from nibbling
on necks throughout my high school years and beyond, and I keep my canine teeth well hidden.

♦ Just send me the money; skip the catalogs and advertisements. In a normal lifetime advertisers spend
almost $36,000 trying to influence the average American.

♦ Well, the only "toy" puppet I'm guessing. So far the only puppet of that nature to testify before Congress
is "Sesame Street's" Elmo.

♦ Gosh, and that's the day I'm writing this column. Any one is more likely to be in a bad mood on
Thursday than any other day of the week.

Jim Willard, a Loveland resident since 1 967, retired from Hewlett-Packard after 33 years to focus on less
trivial things. He calls Twoey, his bichon frise-Maltese dog, vice president of research for his column.

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VIDEO: Is Eltham McDonald's haunted by ghost of
headless pregnant woman?

09:37 Monday 9 February 201 5 newSShopper.CO.uk

Exclusive by Jamie Micklethwaite

A branch of a popular fast food restaurant in
Eltham is said to have an unwanted visitor.

It is said that a ghost is living in the basement
of the Eltham High Street McDonald's, which
was formerly the crypt of an old church.

Two websites have reported on several
sightings of the ghoul, which they refer to as
the "crypt dweller".

A post from paranormaldatabase.com reads:
century woman at McDonalds "Built on the site of an old United reformed

church, this fast food establishment is said to have a haunted basement which was once a
crypt.

"Some staff have reported encountering some kind of entity, though what it is has not been
disclosed."

A spokeswoman from McDonald's said staff were aware of the rumours but had not
personally encountered the ghost.

She added: "We are aware of these rumours, and while we have no confirmed sightings we
would like to reassure our customers we aint afraid of no ghost."

The site of McDonald's originally belonged to pastor Henry Dobell who demolished his coach
house and stables to build the church, which opened in 1868.

We went down to the site with local medium, Sally Cudmore from Chislehurst, to investigate.

Upon entering the restaurant, Mrs Cudmore immediately felt the presence of a woman who
she thought was from the 1800s.

She said: "I've got the letter J around her, I don't know whether it's Jane or June or something
like that but I’ve got the letter J.

"They also showed me a baby with her and it's pink so this baby's a little girl so she would
either have been pregnant or she lost a baby quite close to her death.

"I feel like I'm being strangled so at first I thought she'd been hung but then she showed me
her head was decapitated so her head was chopped off.

"This lady is always around here and I don't know whether this is where she passed or
whether this meant something to her but you can definitely feel the connection with the
basement here and where I'm sitting because it comes through very strong."

Have you felt a supernatural presence at McDonald's on Eltham High Street? Call
01689885732 or email jamie.micklethwaite@london.newsquest.co.uk

Is Eltham McDonalds Haunted?

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By Telegraph Video , video source Storyful 9:40AM BS T 30 Mar 2015

telegraph.co.uk

Tuesday 31 March 2015

Footage captures the dramatic moment a rhinoceros chases a man on a motorbike
down a street in Nepal

A large rhinoceros ran amok in the southern Nepal town of Hetauda on 30 March.

One person was killed and three
injured when the rhino charged
through the streets, according to a
local report.

Footage shows it charging down a
street chasing after a motorcycle.

"H 3Ja\

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Can YOU solve these UFO cases? Vintage ‘alien’ photos
revealed

17:17 EST, 4 March 2015 \

17:17 est, 4 March 2015 dailymail.co.uk

Can YOU solve these UFO cold cases? Vintage 'alien' photos that governments
couldn't explain reveal world's strangest sightings

• Unresolved cases include 1957 image by a pilot allegedly showing a UFO
following a B-47 jet

• Another shows searchlights focusing on an unidentified object flying over LA in
February 1942

• ‘The pictures here don’t seem to be faked,' UFO investigator, Nigel Watson told
DailyMail.com

• But he added that there may be other explanations, such as the way a
photograph is developed

By Ellie Zolfagharifard For Dailymail.com

The US government is still unable to explain around five per cent of UFO sightings in its
archives.

Now one team of ‘alien hunters’ has dug up some of the best images to see if the public can
shed light on the eerie glows, mysterious orbs and flying objects from the last few decades.

Among them is a remarkable 1957 photo taken by a test pilot near Edwards Air Force Base in
California, allegedly showing a UFO following a B-47 jet.

In 1957 this picture was taken by a
test pilot near Edwards Air Force Base
in California. It shows a UFO allegedly
following a B-47 jet

Another, released by the Aerial
Phenomena Group, shows three
mysterious lights over the Manhattan
skyline taken in 1984. It was taken by
Philipe Orego from New Jersey, and
researchers could find no sign of a
hoax at the time.

‘A UFO picture tells a thousand lies,’ Nigel Watson author of the UFO Investigations Manual
told DailyMail.com

The basic problem is that if a UFO photograph is taken in daylight and looks close, clear and
sharp, you suspect it is a fake.

‘If it is out-of-focus, distant and hard to define, then it can be a picture of anything in the sky -
from an insect, bird to a balloon or drone.

The pictures here don’t seem to be faked but each has its own story to tell. With old pictures,
blobs or spots can appear due to the way the film is developed or mishandled in the
processing stage. '

On the right is an image taken by
Felippe Orego showing three lights
over the Manhattan skyline, New
York, on May 9, 1984. The left
image, allegedly showing a UFO,
was taken in Ward, Colorado in
1929

Searchlights focus on an
unidentified object over Los
Angeles on February 25, 1942. The
bright dots around the flashes are
anti-aircraft shells exploding

The picture on the left was taken
on New Year's Day in 1939 with
unidentified object appearing in the
top left. The right image shows a
picture of a UFO taken somewhere
in the US on June 10, 1964, and was
discovered in an attic a number of
years later

Watson said that a good case to
illustrate this point is the image of the
UFO over Los
Angeles.

In February 1942,
fears of a
Japanese air raid
and invasion
struck LA. On 23
February, a
Japanese
submarine
allegedly shelled
the Elwood Oil
Field near Goleto,

north of Los Angeles.

In the early hours of 25 February, a fleet of mystery aircraft were seen heading for the city.

Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall reported in a memorandum to President
Roosevelt dated 26 February 1942 that as many as 15 airplanes may have been involved.

Although 1430 rounds were expended by the 37th Coast Artillery Brigade’s anti-aircraft guns
no aircraft was hit or shot down and no bombs were dropped by the aircraft.

The only conclusion was that commercial aircraft were used by enemy agents to determine
the location of anti-aircraft guns and to spread alarm.

This invasion scare became the subject of Steven Spielberg’s high-rolling comedy movie
‘1941’ (1979) that shows how fear ensnares people in a web of obsession and conflict fuelled
by rumours and the media,’ said Watson.

The lasting evidence of the craft was a photograph of a ‘wigwam’ of searchlights converging
on an unidentified aircraft over Culver City.’

An analysis by UFO expert Dr Bruce Maccabee suggests that the object caught by the
searchlight beams was 100 feet wide.

In the summer of 1966, a flight official
photographed two red spheres over
the Swiss airport Zurich-Kloten. The
photo was later released by Swiss Air
pilot Ferdinand Schmid

LeMonde, who served with the US Marine Corp, was photographed on horseback near the
Pickwick Riding stables in Burbank, California on a June morning in 1945. A UFO can be see
in the image to the right of the horse's ear. On the right a passenger on a plane from Hong
Kong to southwest China claimed to have seen a 'UFO like flying object' outside the window
of the plane in 2012

Four brightly glowing, unidentified objects appeared in the sky at 9:35 am. on July 15, 1952
over a parking lot in Salem, Massachusetts

CRITERIA USED
BY THE US
CONDON
COMMITEE ON
UFO SIGHTINGS

The US Condon
Committee
examined many
UFO photographs,
and concluded that
such cases should
be selected and

analysed according to the following criteria:

How clear is the photograph?

Does it present evidence of something unusual after astronomical, meteorological,
photographic and optical effects are ruled out?

Could it be to misinterpretation?

Are light and shadows in the photograph consistent?

If a film camera is used, has the negative been tampered with?

Is the sharpness and focus of the picture in agreement with the visual observations?

Are the time intervals of a set of photographs consistent with the witness testimony?

Does the focus and contrast agree with the given distance of the object?

Can the size and distance of the UFO be discerned with reference to objects either in front of,
or behind the UFO?

Steven Lacey, another UFO believer, using Photoshop cleared up the image to reveal an
image of a classic flying saucer.

This made him conclude that this image is a very convincing argument for the presence of
alien craft in our skies.’

‘In contrast, aviation historian Brett Holman puts forward a convincing case that the
searchlights are converging on a small cloud rather than a UFO or extra-terrestrial
battlecruiser,’ said Watson.

‘And, he has found other examples of antiaircraft searchlights illuminating clouds that look like
flying saucers.

‘A UFO picture certainly says more than a thousand words, but it still depends on our
prejudices and expectations to decide whether it depicts something extraordinary or
mundane.’

A number of 'closed' cases were also recently revealed by the US government who opened
its files into 12,000 encounters with UFOs spanning between 1947-1969.

Microfilms of these cases, collectively known as Project Blue Book, have become available
for anyone to view online.

One of the most famous is the Lubbock Lights incident, which was reported on August 30,
1951 in Texas by three professors.

The witnesses were sitting in the backyard of one of the professor's homes when they saw 20
to 30 'lights' fly overhead.

One of the professors said the objects 'appeared to be about the size of a dinner plate and
they were greenish-blue, slightly fluorescent in colour.

'They were smaller than the full moon at the horizon. There were about a dozen to fifteen of
these lights.. .they were absolutely circular.. .it gave all of us. ..an extremely eerie feeling.'

The USAF concluded that these lights were most likely caused by birds named plovers, which
have white breasts that can reflect lights from cities below.

Another image, titled simply 'Winter 1951', shows what the photographer believed to be a
flying saucer.

However, scientists discovered that the eerie shape was a lenticular cloud which are created
by moist air that has condensed at a high altitude.

This image, titled simply 'Winter 1951', was taken in New Zealand. While the photographer
believed this to be a flying saucer, the USAF concluded that it was in fact a lenticular cloud.
The lens-shaped formations are the result of moist air that has condensed at a high altitude

Vivek Sood, delhi, India, 16 minutes ago

NASA abolished all of its apollo missions and
arm strong was caught on radio saying there are
space crafts who are like our mother ..that
proves it all there are beings other then humans

Taxpayer, Rugby, 29
minutes ago

The USAF aircraft is a
B57 not a B47.

Peter Simpson,
somewhere in France,
France, 31 minutes ago

they wouldn't tell lies.. ..would they?

Marsh gas, it is always
marsh gas. If the
government says it is
marsh gas then it is,

Kenneth Arnold saw nine UFOs over Mount
Rainier, on 24 June 1947 and the US
government agencies took an interest in reports.
A similar sighting (pictured) occured over Tulsa,
Oklahoma on July 12, 1947

MarkW, Hamilton, 36 minutes ago

The 1964 ’found in the attic' photo is a common UFO fake using a chicken hatchery warmer.

chris54, dudley, 7 minutes ago

I am sure that is the photo faked by George Adamski a notorious UFO spotter and proved
faker. I still have the book that he wrote which includes this photo.

JimBob999, Wakefield, United Kingdom, about an hour ago

As a pro photographer for 30 years I can assure you that the early images are negative
marks at the time of printing.

beachcomber30, bay area, United States, about an hour ago

Some of these look like clouds, ball lightening, possible reflections against humidity in the air,
and the one with the man on horseback looks like a bird flying in the background.

GrahamHM, Stoke on Trent, United Kingdom, about an hour ago

Let's be clear about what a UFO is: it's an Object that is Unidentified, and it's apparently
Flying. Get it? An Unidentified Flying Object. Which means it is NOT NECESSARILY a space
craft flown by an alien being!

yorkshireMan, leeds, United Kingdom, 23 minutes ago

Wow, I didn't know that

Andy, Reading, about an hour ago

What a lot of rubbish! These so call pictures ( of dubious quality ) don't prove anything.
ToryHELL, London, United Kingdom, about an hour ago

NASA will probably never release its photos of the alien settlement on the dark side of the
moon which was discovered some 30 years ago. It would cause panic if they did so and in
fact the photographs beamed back to earth by satellite reduced one USA Congressman to
tears of fear. It is all too much for the little man on the street with a few hundred years of
technology to grasp an alien species with 1 million years of technology . The usual mistake is
to fail to understand that the elasticity of physics is stretched and refined with every year of
new technology. The physics of the stone age was the same as the physics of the computer
generation. The arrogance is to believe that we understand the full scope of physics.

Tony M, Where the expats are not, 9 minutes ago

There is no dark side of the moon. How do you know they found an alien base if the
information was never revealed? Which Congressman was reduced to tears of fear?
Technology works within physics.

BayouBoy, Lafayette Louisiana, United States, about an hour ago

That's a B-57 Canberra, not a B-47 Stratojet, and I didn't have to look that up. Missed it by
*that* much ;-)

D000000d60, Phoenix, United States, about an hour ago

If there are aliens visiting us they are also much more morally advanced to us. They know
paranoid inhabitants of the earth would misunderstand them no matter what they do. They
therefore avoid interfering in any of our business and try to keep out of sight. They just could
not have achieved that degree of technology to travel so far across universe without having
resolved all their own problems.

Rob Stanley, Hometown, Germany, 36 minutes ago

To them we are probably akin to cockroaches.

Tony M, Where the expats are not, 13 minutes ago

You know a hell of a lot about species no-one has even met.. Why would this hypothetical
civilisation be "morally advanced to us"? They could have achieved their technological
advancement by subjugating other races on their planet and turning them into slave labour.
Besides which the point is moot. We are not being visited.

Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd

Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group

2014 / 12/17 10 : 41:36

bbc.com

17 December 2014
IN ASSOCIATION WITH

‘Walking on water’ in Slovakia

Walking on water sounds like the stuff of miracles, but there's nothing supernatural at work in the clip
above. Watch as two hikers in Slovakia's High Tatra Mountains walk across a lake that’s frozen so
clearly, they look to be walking on water.

Tomas Nunuk posted the clip on 8 December. Since then, the footage has garnered more than three
million views, with some viewers expressing both astonishment and scepticism.

"This is a good example of how beautiful the world can be when it’s not tainted by humans," said
YouTube user Tyler Wolff.

Chloe Bateman, on the other hand, questioned the authenticity of the 0:39-long video: "surely you would
record this for longer if in fact it was legit."

Several scientists have come to the video's defence, including meteorologist Meghan Mussoline. "Clear
ice is about twice as strong as white ice, since it is more dense,” she explained in an Accuweather video.
“The ice on the frozen lake in the Slovakian Mountains was likely sufficiently thick for people to walk on
due to cold air entrenched across the region since mid-November.”

Technology blog io9 featured further clarification from University of Helsinki geophysicist Matti
Lepparanta. “Since the concentration of impurities is lower in congelation ice than in the lake water, the
ice may be even more transparent than the water in turbid or humic lakes,” he said.

Temperatures this cold may make for some spectacular phenomena, but natural wonders are hardly in
short supply in the Tatra Mountains, a region that Pope John Paul II visited on a detour from an 11 -day
pilgrimage to his homeland in 1997. The mountains, which form a natural border between Slovakia and
Poland, are home to a huge variety of winter sports. The Low Tatras range {highest peak 2,043m) and
the High Tatras (highest peak 2,564m) both come highly recommended for their natural beauty and their
affordability as a skiing destination.

Tantalised by the natural beauty you see in the clip above, but not quite ready to book a trip? See more
of this stunning region in this high-resolution, action-packed adventure clip showing some of the most
spectacular sights the Tatra range has to offer.

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Want A Million Bucks? Just Contact This Guy ...

Telepath ically

Buck Wolf Become a fan huffingtonpOSt.com

Posted: 03/16/2015 8:32 pm EDT Updated: 03/16/2015 8:59 pm EDT
Stop lying!

That's what James Randi has been telling psychics, faith healers and other paranormal
money grubbers for more than half a century.

There is no point in calling some of them out as fakes. They're all fakes as far as Randi is
concerned. It's been his lifelong quest to save the gullible public from wasting money on
flimflam artists who prey on the stupidity of the masses.

The 86-year-old’s amazing journey from stage magician to paranormal investigator is
celebrated in "An Honest Liar," a documentary opening this month in theaters across the
country, after an initial run in Los Angeles and New York. He sat down with the HuffPost
Weird News team and the great Todd Robbins to talk about his amazing career.

"Magicians are the perfect people to do this sort of
work because we know how to trick an audience,"
says Randi. "We're honest liars. We tell people
we're going to fool you and we do.

"The difference between us and them is we don't
claim to be supernatural."

The most offensive people to Randi are people
like psychic Sylvia Brown, who held herself out to
the loved ones of crime victims, to help them
make contact one last time with a person they
lost.

In 2004, Brown told the family of Amanda Berry that she was dead. "She's not alive, honey,"
the TV psychic told the girl's mother, on "The Montel Williams Show."

A year earlier, the 16-year-old Ohio girl had disappeared. Perhaps it was a logical guess after
all that time that Berry was dead. But in 2013 -- after 10 years in captivity in a Cleveland
man's basement — she was found alive, trying to escape.

Brown publicly apologized to Berry and her family, and then kept on doing what she had
always done -- claiming that she really has a psychic gift.

Brown once accepted a challenge from Randi on national TV to prove her abilities. However,
she died two years ago without following through.

FIGHTING the FAKERS

PUTTING QUACKS, SCAMS & SHAMS ON THE HOPES!

TEXT

"You want a
million
dollars, I'll
give you a
million
dollars,"
says Randi.
As the head
of the
James
Randi

Educational

james randi Foundation,

he offers a giant cash prize to any person who can demonstrate paranormal ability.

"There should be a line out the door of gifted people wanting to collect.

"Sometimes they say they'll accept the challenge, but they never do. Want to guess why?"

Spoon-bending psychic Uri Geller and faith healer Peter Popoff are among the many Randi
has exposed, showing how their stunts can be replicated with simple parlor magic.

Penn and Teller are among a generation of performers that appear in the film and they speak
of Randi as a mentor. He was calling out bullshit long before they had a TV show by that
name. They, too, carry on a tradition of being honest liars.

james randi

Was Queen Elizabeth I a Man?

February 20, 2015

historicmysteries.com

Monarchs and presidents are no strangers to conspiracy theories.
From ancient times there are dark rumors about world leaders who
were doing something behind the scenes, were not actually dead,
had secret knowledge, or were not who they said they were.

Perhaps one of the wildest conspiracy theories involved the
Renaissance queen of England, Elizabeth I. There is a once-
believed story that the woman who ruled over England and its
colonies was not the daughter born to King Henry VIII and his
second wife Anne Boleyn, but was, in fact, a male in disguise (now
known as The Bisley Boy).

The story unfolds like this: It is known that Elizabeth was sent away
at the age of ten to a village called Bisley to avoid an outbreak of the
Bubonic Plague in London. It was hoped that being away from the
metropolis, where people were dying left and right, would ensure that she did not succumb to
the disease.

Unfortunately, an unknown illness soon caught Elizabeth in its clutches and she died.

Soon after, it was announced to the household that King Henry VIII would arrive in Bisley in
the near future and would visit his daughter.

Elizabeth’s nurse panicked. Would the king blame her for his daughter’s death? If so, would
she be punished? Would she lose her head? The nurse came up with a bold plan: bury
Elizabeth secretly and find a local girl who closely resembled Elizabeth and present the
imposter to the king as his daughter.

She quickly searched Bisley for a ten-year-old girl with fair complexion and, most importantly,
red hair similar to Elizabeth’s. But none were found. But the nurse did find an effeminate
young boy who looked somewhat like the dead royal. The nurse had no other choice. She
dressed the boy in Elizabeth’s clothing and added a wig and prayed that the king wouldn’t
notice any difference.

If this theory is true, the king apparently did not notice the deception and the young boy would
grow to manhood and would eventually rule the kingdom.

It sounds farcical, but some serious historians believed this story was true. They based their
conclusion on a variety of facts:

• The grown Elizabeth never consented to marriage, despite legitimate offers.

• A perceived stark difference in the form and content of letters she wrote before and
after her stay in Bisley.

• She wore wigs at any occasion where she would be seen.

Was Queen Elizabeth I actually
a male impersonator?

• She would only be seen by carefully selected doctors and would thus suffer the
effects of an illness for long periods of time until one of her few trusted physicians could
attend to her.

• A nobleman had once written regarding Elizabeth that “for a certain reason which they
have recently given me, I understand that she will not bear children”

• Elizabeth’s clear directive not to have an autopsy done on her after she died.

• The report from a cleric of his discovery of a coffin in Bisley in the 1800s which
contained the skeleton of a young girl dressed in clothes typical of the Renaissance
upper-classes.

This seemingly preposterous legend would probably have vanished into time if it had not
been championed by a most unlikely supporter: Bram Stoker, the author of the seminal novel
“Dracula.”

It is not known how Stoker first came across the story, but he would come to believe it
strongly. He even devoted an entire chapter to the conspiracy in his non-fiction book entitled
“Famous Imposters.” Stoker believed that “Elizabeth” was, in fact, the son of one of Henry
Vlll’s illegitimate male offspring, making the imposter Henry Vlll’s grandson. Stoker believed
this royal connection would explain the imposter’s physical resemblance to Elizabeth, a
member of the royal family.

Once Stoker published his book, the reaction was not kind. Very few people believed his
assertion of a cross-gender substitute ruling England during the 1500s. And later, Internet
historian Claire Ridgway would outline several reasons this story is fiction, including:

• It is unlikely someone as intelligent as the king would not recognize the substitution of
his daughter with a fake of a different gender.

• It is known via the Queen's laundress that Elizabeth menstruated normally.

• The queen occasionally wore dresses that clearly showed she had normal female
breasts.

• No matter how many doctors and nobles were taken into confidence and sworn to
secrecy, a secret so substantial would undoubtedly have been leaked by at least one
person who knew the truth.

It all ends in a mystery of why a man as intelligent as Stoker would have put any credence
into this conspiracy theory. It is now safe to believe that the Virgin Queen was exactly who
she claimed to be.

Sources:

“The Bisley Boy”, The Elizabeth Files website, pulled 2-10-15.

“Political decoy”, Wikipedia, pulled 2-10-15.

“Is this proof the Virgin Queen was an imposter in drag? Shocking new theory about
Elizabeth I unearthed in historic manuscripts”, Daily Mail website, pulled 2-10-15.

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Was this the last wild wolf of Britain?

Adam Weymouth
Monday 21 July 2014

theguardian.com

Adam Weymouth picks up the trail of the wolf folklore suggests was the last to roam wildly in
Great Britain before being shot in the Scottish Highlands in 1680

Not far from the village of
Killiecrankie in the Scottish
Highlands, there is a densely
wooded gorge through which the
River Garry rushes. According to
folklore, it is here (or somewhere
very like it) that Sir Ewen
Cameron of Lochiel shot the last
wild-living wolf in Great Britain in
1680.

In May I walked across the
Highlands to find out how local
people feel about the idea of
bringing the wolf back, a prospect that is gaining momentum and one that the UK government
is obliged to consider under an EU Directive of 1992. For some this is a necessary
reevaluation of a once-persecuted animal; for others it’s yet another scheme concocted by
city folk who don’t understand the countryside.

I had read about Cameron’s wolf in James Edmund Harting’s 1880 classic British Animals
Extinct Within Historic Times (With Some Account of British Wild White Cattle). There, in a
footnote to the text, he notes that “a noble animal in a large glass case" had come up for sale
in 1818, a specimen that claimed to be “the last Wolf killed in Scotland by Sir E. Cameron.”
Could this really be true, I wondered?

I decided to start in 1818 and work backwards to 1680. According to Harting, the wolf had
been listed as “Lot 832” in the sale catalogue of the “London Museum" or the London
Museum and Institute of Natural History as it was properly known. This had been the
brainchild of Edward Donovan, an amateur zoologist, author, artist and budding entrepreneur
who had opened its doors on Catherine Street just off the Strand in 1807. But the project had
cost him the colossal sum of £15,000 and within a decade he was broke. Unable to find a
benefactor, Donovan had little option but to auction off his entire collection, including the wolf.

Donovan was a prolific author, writing dozens of books on the natural history of the British
Isles. One of them - the Natural History of British Quadrupeds - contains a chapter on the
wolf and a description that waxes, at times, almost Shakespearian. Wolves, he tells us,
“frequently commit prodigious ravages". The book also includes the illustration of a lone wolf
with an unhinged look and a hint of slaver round its chops, most likely based on the sole wolf
specimen that he held in his collection. Where did Donovan get his wolf? With a bit of

Do you recognise this wolf?

searching, I discover that the year before he opened his museum, he’d picked up the wolf
and some other interesting specimens from the dispersal of another natural history collection.

Edward Donovan's wolf, with an
unhinged look and a hint of slaver
round its chops as depicted in the
Natural History of British
Quadrupeds. © The T rustees of
the Natural History Museum,
London. All rights reserved

Edward Donovan's wolf

Several decades earlier, in 1775,
Sir Ashton Lever had opened the
Leverian Museum, recognised as
the finest natural history collection
of its day. But Lever, like

Donovan after him, was more

interested in collecting than accounting and by 1786 he was bankrupt, disposing of all 28,000
objects with a lottery. The winning ticket was bought by James Parkinson, a stationer. But
Parkinson, also beset by financial difficulties, struggled to make it a going concern and put it
up for auction in 1806, which is when Donovan came into the picture. At the sale he bought
more items than anyone else. On 30 June, along with “sea otter, young,” “crab, with a number
of oyster shells adhering” and “a curious water rat”, he paid five pounds for “the wolf in fine
preservation.”

Botanist and zoologist George Shaw made a study of Lever's collection and his Musei
Leveriani published in 1792 contains an illustration of Lever’s wolf. This bears a happy
resemblance to Donovan’s illustration - see how that front left forepaw is cocked - supporting
the idea that Lever’s wolf and Donovan’s wolf are one and the same.

Yet the wolf depicted in Musei Leveriani
looks closer to a collie, docile and
pastoral. And Shaw goes on to note that
the ferocity of the wolf “is greatly
mitigated by an early education; of which
the individual specimen from which the
present figure was taken, is a remarkable
instance;” it had, he wrote, “been
rendered in a great degree tame and
gentle by the assiduity of the late Sir
Ashton Lever."

Shaw’s assertion that Lever tamed his

Ashton Lever's wolf

wolf before stuffing it and putting it on

show strongly suggests that it was not “the last Wolf killed in Scotland by Sir E. Cameron” as
Donovan later claimed. Donovan’s ravaging wolf, it seems, was Ashton Lever’s pet.

One can only assume that, on the verge of bankruptcy and with no qualms about misleading
a public who had failed to stump up the cash to save his life’s collection, Donovan turned his
specimen into “the last Wolf” in the hope of a few extra quid. Maybe he coaxed those jaws
into a snarl. There have always been those that benefited in making the wolf a little more
ravening than in reality.

Who bought the wolf from Donovan remains a mystery. But although the specimen was not
all that Donovan made it out to be, it is one that still fascinates me, mixed up as it is with the
wolfs myth and its demise. And it is a specimen I fancy still survives. I picture it now, in the
bowels of some Scottish estate perhaps, moth-eaten and with its glass eyes staring madly.

If you think you have seen this wolf, stuffed and quite possibly still in its original glass case,
please get in touch.

Tale ends

It is unlikely we will ever know when the wolf finally went extinct in Britain. The story of Ewen
Cameron killing a wolf in Killiecrankie seems to derive from a footnote in travel book for 1769,
but it is by no means the only “last wolf story. By the time that Lever sourced a wolf cub to
tame, we can be certain that there were no longer any wolves in Britain so he probably
looked further afield. He was renowned in his youth for training his beagles so well that they
would close and open doors for him. A wolf must have seemed the next logical challenge.

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Washington goose poop prompts officials maybe to let the dogs

out yahoo.com

Canada Geese fly by the U.S. flags at the base of
the Washington Monument, in Washington, in this
September ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Park Service
is weighing using dogs to drive off Canada geese
that each foul the U.S. capital's National Mall with
up to three pounds (1.4 kg) of droppings a day,
the agency said on Tuesday.

The Park Service is considering using border
collies to harass the large and growing population
of Canada geese from tourist draws like the
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the Washington
Monument grounds and John F. Kennedy Hockey Fields.

With the dogs, "the geese will be encouraged to abandon the lawns and water in these areas
and relocate elsewhere," it said in a statement.

The geese, known as the Branta canadensis, produce up to two or three pounds (0.9 to 1.4
kg) of feces a day per bird. The droppings damage pumps and filters of the Reflecting Pool,
degrade the park and are a potential public health hazard, the Park Service said in a
statement.

No birds will be physically harmed. The park-like Mall area stretches from the Capitol to the
Potomac River and is lined by monuments and museums.

The agency is accepting public comment through April 22, it said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that local populations of Canada geese were
increasing rapidly throughout the lower 48 U.S. states.

"Many populations now (are) at levels where agricultural depredations and urban conflicts are
common," it said on its website.

The agency said it has tried to use increased hunting to deal with nuisance geese, but that
can be impractical, especially in urban areas.

Even as Canada geese that reside in the United States are booming, migratory populations of
the same species, that nest in Arctic or sub-Arctic regions are stagnant or in decline, the Fish
and Wildlife Service said.

March 24, 2015 3:26 PM

I i

File photo of Canada Geese fly by the U.S. flags at the
base of the Washington Monument, in Washington

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Coyote seen wandering roof of New York bar

upi.com

LIC Bar owner Brian Porter and neighbors in the Long Island City neighborhood said the coyote spent
several hours on the rooftop Monday.

1 By Ben Hooper | March 31, 2015 at 8:38 AM

1 NEW YORK, March 31 (UPI ) — The owner of a New York bar said neighbors reported a coyote climbed
onto the roof of his business and appeared stranded there for several hours.

Brian Porter, owner of the LIC Bar in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, said the coyote was
first spotted on the roof of the building Monday by tenants living above the bar and they speculated the
animal must have climbed onto the roof from a broken window on a vacant warehouse adjacent to the
building.

"It looked well-fed, it wasn't a scrawny thing," Porter told LIC Post.

Matt Quigley of neighboring business Plaxall Properties said the coyote eventually went back into the
warehouse, which formerly housed Paragon Paints, through an open window.

Video shared by a neighbor shows the coyote flee into the window after encountering New York Police
Department emergency services officers on the rooftop.

Quigley said the officers watched the area for a time, but appeared to leave empty-handed.

Birk O'Halloran, whose office is above the bar, said he is sure the animal was a coyote and not just a
similar-looking dog.

"There was a coyote just hanging on the roof," he told CBS New York, "I grew up in Colorado and I've
seen a lot. People say, 'Oh that's a dog.' No, that's a coyote. They look like a German shepherd, but
grayer and more pointy."

Coyote Anderson, a jazz musician who was scheduled to play the LIC Bar Monday evening, said he took
his namesake's visit as a good sign.

"My name is Coyote Anderson," Anderson said. "Believe it or not, my parents named me Coyote
Anderson Moore."

Anderson said he would dedicate a song to the animal during his performance.

"We couldn't be blessed with a better omen," Anderson said.

©2015 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI
content is expressly prohibited without UPl's prior written consent.

Pink stiletto heel sculpture divides Utah city

upi.com

Jerry Anderson's "Pink Lady" sculpture, a 5-foot-tall high-heeled shoe, is popular with some residents,
but others say it seems out of place.

1 By Ben Hooper | April 7, 2015 at 1:39 PM

1 ST. GEORGE, Utah, April 7 {UPI) — A 5-foot-tall sculpture of a pink stiletto shoe installed in a Utah city's
' downtown is proving controversial with some residents who say it would be a better fit for "Hollywood."

Jerry Anderson's sculpture, "Pink Lady," was installed in downtown St. George as part of the city-
sponsored Art Around the Corner program, which installs a rotating collection of sculptures around town.

"Primarily our artists are from Utah, but we have artists from all around the country," Amber Rich, a
board member of Art Around the Corner, told KSTU-TV. "We love the traditional pieces, we love the
pioneers and the children, but we also love a gigantic guitar, and a pink high heel."

However, some residents said "Pink Lady" seems out of place in their city.

"It's just very different than the art that we have in Downtown St. George," Brittany Carlson said. "It
doesn't seem to go with the flow."

"It looks like it belongs in Hollywood, not St. George," said Amber Farmer, a resident of nearby
Hurricane. "I was a little shocked to see it here."

The sculpture is not without its fans.

"I think that's great," St. George resident Terri Colledge said. "I love shoes and have a collection. I'd like
to take it home and put it in my collection."

Stefanie Bevans, chair of the Art Around the Corner Foundation, said she is happy the sculpture has
people talking.

"You're going to have people who love it and people who hate it," Bevans told The Spectrum newspaper.
"I like having a piece that makes people talk. Last year, it was the big guitar."

The "big guitar" was a sculpture titled "Ready to Play," by Deveren Farley. The scrap metal guitar, part of
last year's Art Around the Corner, stood 30 feet tall.

©2015 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI
content is expressly prohibited without U Pi's prior written consent.

Flame on! Real life Human Torch runs 645 feet while on fire

upi.com

Joe Todtling lit himself on fire and ran 645 feet to break Ted Batchelor's record of running
531 .5 feet while on fire.

By Ben Hooper | March 23, 2015 at 1 :22 PM

1 PASSAIL, Austria, March 23 (UPI) -- An Austrian stunt man ran 645 feet while on fire to
break the world record for longest distance run during a full body burn.

Joe Todtling donned flame-resistant Nomex clothing and fire gel Friday in his hometown of
Passail before igniting himself and running 645 feet with a team of local firefighters following
closely in case of mishap.

Todtling, a professional movie stunt man known locally as Seppe, smashed U.S. daredevil
Ted Batchelor's previous record of 531 .5 feet while an audience of about 1 ,500 fans watched
the feat.

Todtling, whose wife and children were present at the event, said he is planning to take on
further full body burn records including being pulled by a horse, a quad bike and a small
motor vehicle. He said the records will be attempted in Teichalm in June.

© 2015 United Press International, Inc. Alt Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or
modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPl's prior written consent.

Video: Welsh ’Fatberg’ Lurking In Sewers

sky.com

A 'fatberg' is made up of grease and fat tipped down the sink which costs the company more
than £7m a year.

12:24, UK, Tuesday lOFebruary 2015

Welsh Water has released
video of what is hidden deep
down in the drains - a giant
fatball of grease and oils.

The foul-looking "fatberg" is
at the heart of the water
company's campaign to
persuade people to think
before they throw unsuitable
products down the sink.

It costs the company more
than £7m a year to clear blocked drains so it hopes its Let's Stop The Block campaign will
encourage customers to find other ways of disposing of greasy waste.

"One way is to collect the grease in a plastic container, let it cool and then transfer it into a
plastic bag and throw it away," a spokeswoman suggested.

"Or, if you're thinking creatively, use the cooled fat as birdseed."

While the huge "fatberg" does not present a health risk, blocked sewers can cause flooding in
homes and communities.

"Anyone who has suffered a flood in their home because of a blocked drain or sewer will
know the damage and personal upset that is causes," said Welsh Water director Steve
Wilson.

"Reducing these blockages will also mean that our not-for-profit company will also be able to
invest more in other improvements on behalf of our customers."

/* Copyright 2014 Evemote Corporation. All rights reserved. 7 .en-markup-crop-options { top: 1 8px /important ; left: 50%
/important ; margin-left: -lOOpx ! important ; width: 200px /important; border: 2px rgba(255,255,255,.38) solid /important;
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What is Burns Night? A guide to the Scottish tradition

Claire Urn for Metro.co.uk metrO.CO.uk

Attending a Burns Night supper?
You’ll get to eat this! Lucky you...
(Picture: Flickr/British High
Commission, Ottawa)

Burns Night celebrates renowned
Scottish poet Robert Rabbie’
Burns.

Burns suppers are usually held
around his birthday - January 25
and it’s a chance to revel in
Scottishness, eat, drink and be
merry.

But if you’ve never been to a Burns Night supper or even heard of the legend himself, fear not
- fake it with this handy guide.

Mingling

Before the meal begins, you’re expected to mingle. Don’t let this lull you into a false sense of
security though; this is a party but not as we know it.

The Selkirk Grace

After mingling with your new Burns enthusiast friends, the host will say The Selkirk Grace
before the meal:

Some hae meat and canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae let the Lord be thankit.

Roughly translated this means - let’s be thankful we’re about to eat because some cannot.

Haggis

A big deal is made of the main course, which is, of course, haggis! There’s a bit of fanfare
around it’s arrival as the bagpipes are played whilst the cook brings it to the host’s table.

But before everyone can dig in, the host or guest recites Address To A Haggis. You’ll
probably be starving by this point and the fact it’s quite a lengthy poem probably won’t help

What is Bums Night?

but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

The supper

A wee whisky toast is made to the haggis and the feast can begin. The traditional meal is
neeps and tatties (Scottish turnips and potatoes).

All courses comprise of traditional Scottish recipes. For instance, the dessert may be
cranachan or Tipsy Laird (whisky trifle) and any oatcakes or cheeses that followed are
washed down with water of life’ (uisge beatha) - Scotch whisky.

Basically, you’ll be drinking a lot of whisky. Expect a hangover of epic proportions.

Immortal Memory

One of the guests will now stand up and give a short speech remembering Burns’ life or
poetry. Whether this speech is light-hearted or serious, it must be entertaining.

Toast To The Lassies / Reply To The Laddies

Originally done by a male guest thanking the ladies who had prepared the meal, the Toast To
The Lassies is now a humorous toast and view point of a male speaker about the ladies. It
shouldn't cause offence but rather be merely a bit of fun.

The Reply To The Laddies is the ladies’ response giving her view on men and talking about
any points raised in the previous speech. Everyone toasts after each. You may or may not
remember these speeches depending on how drunk you are by this point.

More poetry, song and dance!

Well, this is a celebration after all! Burns poems will be recited, Burns songs will be sang,
there will be dancing and probably more drink.

Auld Lang Syne

If you’re still standing by the point, you’ll join hands and stand for Auld Lang Syne. This
signifies the end of the evening - it’s been emotional (most likely due to the copious amount
of whisky consumed).

What Really Separates Ghost Stories From Zombie And Vampire Tales

By Ria Misra, Feb 17th 20 15

http://io9.com/what-really-separates-ghost-stories-from-zombie-and-vam-1686355787

The undead, in all sorts of forms, have been haunting our fiction, both lately and in the much more
distant past. Here, author Lauren Oliver tells us why (despite competition from plenty of other
supernatural characters) ghost stories remain simply unkillable.

Oliver joined us today to take questions about her novel Rooms, whose characters occupy the haunted
house at the story's center. Among the questions she answered was what it was about ghost stories that
separated them from the zombie and vampire tales, and how that difference had kept them alive for so
long:

I think there are some parallels, but I think that ghosts occupy a primary — and primal — place among
the roster of supernatural creatures because 1) they are a permutation of the soul, not the body and thus
2) can be seen not as a perversion of a human but in some cases as its high metaphysical form. They are
not always scary, in other words, but are actually conceived of often as being full of grief and
emotional longing, an inability to move on — I think that makes them feel both relatable and almost
tragic. And in general our obsession with post-death forms (zombies, vampires, ghosts) stems from our
innate drive to understand death, to deal with bodily decay and spiritual ascension, to imagine
ourselves as continuing.

You can read the full Q&A, where Oliver also speculates on what kinds of stories ghosts might tell
about the living and compares writing for adults and teenagers, right here.

Author Lauren Oliver Is Here To Talk To You About Rooms
By Ria Misra Feb 16th 2015, Tuesday 9: 17am

http://io9.com/author-lauren-oliver-is-here-to-talk-to-you-about-rooms-1686285773
Ria MisraRia Misra

Welcome, Lauren — thanks for joining us!

Ghosts and haunted houses are some of the most enduringly popular story elements. Why do you think
they seem to have such a universal appeal? Is there something that separates them from other
perennially-popular supernatural stories (zombies, for instance, or vampires), or are there parallels to be
drawn?

Lauren Oliver

Lauren OliverRia Misra
Tuesday ll:10am

emotional longing, an inability to move on — I think that makes them feel both relatable and almost
tragic. And in general our obsession with post-death forms (zombies, vampires, ghosts) stems from our
innate drive to understand death, to deal with bodily decay and spiritual ascension, to imagine
ourselves as continuing.

RappingNinjaRia Misra
Tuesday 9:36am

Do you have any particular authors/works in the ghost-y genre that you drew inspiration from when
writing Rooms?

Lauren OliverRappingNinja
Tuesday 11:03am

I really love ghost stories — especially gothic ghost stories like Turn of The Screw — but in some ways I
was just as inspired by tales of family dysfunction (everything from We Have Always Lived in the
Castle to This is Where I Leave You). I did want there to be an element of humorousness and levity to
my ghosts — I wanted them to be people, as opposed to the supernatural, disembodied forces you often
find in traditional ghost stories.

RappingNinjaLauren Oliver
Tuesday 11:30am

Thanks for answering! Given that your ghosts obviously have actual personality to them, I wondered if
you could really still be inspired by many of the stories out there, things like The Haunting of Hill
House where it's all so vague. This make sense to me. Cheers :)

Lauren OliverRappingNinja
Tuesday 11:34am

I was generally speaking but I think my book falls under a different category. Certainly, it's more a
family drama and a layered mystery than it is horror.

MweyerRia Misra
Tuesday 10:20am

Go to permalink

How did you come up with the motif of each chapter revolving around a different room? It really was
great and helped the house itself become its own character.

Also, did you find yourself wrestling with the cliches of the genre, things you were doing but then
thought "oh, wait, that's already been done" and had to go a different way?

Lauren OliverMweyer
Tuesday 11:14am

That was definitely the central structural feature that let me "crack" the narrative. I really wanted to
give voice to a house — to render literal the old saying "if these walls can talk." I was also interested in
the idea of memory palaces, of ideas and memories and associations getting mapped onto our physical
spaces.

With respect to cliches. ..I was a little nervous about conventions around the physical limitations of
ghost. Like, why can they always change radio stations and flicker lights but they can't, I don't know,
crack open a beer?

MweyerLauren Oliver
Tuesday ll:18am

That "walls can talk" thing won me over big time and liked the touches on such questions too, great
read !

Lauren OliverMweyer
Tuesday 11:19am

Thank you!

RappingNinjaRia Misra
Tuesday 11:38am

If I may cheat and ask a second question:

What was different in your approach to writing this "adult" novel vs. your previous "young adult"
works, if anything at all? What makes the style of writing distinct between audiences to you?

I certainly think that there are "young adult' '-categorized books that seem to be written on the same
level as "full adult" ones, so I'd like your perspective.

Lauren OliverRappingNinja
Tuesday 11:45am

I'm not sure it makes sense to differentiate the books based on the caliber of writing, since certainly
many books for adults are terrible and many books for young adults excellent. I do think it has to do
with limiting yourself to an adolescent perspective, i.e. using only the perceptive and intellectual tools a
teenager possesses — many of which are flawed or distorted — to tell a story. And because teens are by
nature more black-and-white — because they tend to personalize, polarize, and idealize, teen novels do
the same thing. The good ones do seek nuance but in general teen novels do reenforce the idea that
some things are good and some things bad, that love is powerful, that hope can change the world.
They're redemptive in that way.

Dr Emilio LizardoRia Misra
Tuesday 9:46am

Thanks for joining us, I enjoyed the book.

Is it hard writing about depressed people with issues like this? The characters were very realistic and
relatable, but somewhat difficult to like. Does that get to you while you are writing and rewriting?

Lauren OliverDr Emilio Lizardo
Tuesday 11:06am

You know, funnily enough this question has come up so often, and it's been really shocking to me. I
think that for whatever reason I have been exposed to, befriended, known, or loved people with so
many mental health problems — depression and anxiety and other mental disorders, and then of course
all of the associated methods people use to cope with them (eating disorders, sexual disorders, drug and
alcohol abuse) — that it never occurred to me that the characters would strike anyone as particularly
unlikable. I mean, I knew they were unlikable, of course, but it felt like as long as they were real, that
was the important thing. They're all trapped by their own disorders and beliefs and anxieties, humans as
well as ghosts, and during the course of the book they're seeking relief.

djdeejayRia Misra
Tuesday 9:27am

If a ghost writes a scary story about humans, what do you call it?

Lauren Oliverdjdeejay
Tuesday 1 1 : 19am

Awesome.

DarkGreenRia Misra
Tuesday 11:31am

Hello Lauren Oliver. I have a few questions:

1) Who do you ask to read your work before sending it to the publisher? For critiques and/or
observations?

2) Do you read any negative comments about your stories? If so how do you deal with it or does it
bother you at all?

IReply

What was the Dancing Plague of 1518?

mnn.com

What sounds like medieval folklore is something that even modern science is at a loss to
explain.

Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 01:52 PM

For no apparent reason, she
just started to dance.

In July of 1518, in full view of
her neighbors, Frau Troffea
began to violently dance in
the streets of the city of
Strasbourg, France. There
was no music and her face
betrayed no expression of joy.
She appeared unable to stop
herself from her frenzy.

An artist's depiction of two woman with dancing mania. (Image: Pieter Brueghel

the Younger /wikimedia Commons) Had this remained an isolated

incident, the city elders may

have put it down to madness or demonic possession, but soon after Troffea began her
dancing, a neighbor joined in. And then another. By the end of a week more than 30 people
were dancing night and day on the streets of the city. And it didn't stop there. By the time a
month had passed, at least 400 citizens of Strasbourg were swept up in the phenomenon.

Medical and civic authorities were called in because some of the
dancers began dying from heart attacks, exhaustion or strokes.
For some inexplicable reason, these men believed that the cure
for the dancing was more dancing, so they erected a wooden
stage for the dancers and musicians were called in.

This all sounds like some archaic bit of folklore, but the dancing
plague of 1518 is clearly chronicled in medical, civic and
religious notes of the time.

Modern researchers pore over those notes to develop theories
as to what caused this bizarre incident.

One of those theories postulates that the dancers were the
victims of mass hysteria: instances when more than one person
believes they are afflicted by an identical malady — often during times of extreme stress
within the affected community. The Strasbourg incident occurred during a time of rampant
famine and malnutrition and subsequent deaths. But 400 people? A well-known recent
incident generally seen as an example of mass hysteria is 1962's "The Tanganyika Laughter
Epidemic" which affected only 95 people.

Engraving portrays three women
affected by the dancing plague

A second theory is in the realm of agriculture. The condition called ergotism occurs when
grains of rye are attacked by a specific mold. Eating the infected rye can lead to seizures,
although the movements of Strasbourg’s afflicted looked much more like traditional dancing
than seizures of any sort.

A final school of thought states that the dancing was in result of some kind of religious
ecstasy caused by veneration of Saint Vitus, the patron saint of epilepsy.

None of the theories completely explain the 1518 dancing.

Bit by bit the dancers stopped, and the dancing would end as mysteriously as it began.

Doug MacGowan lives on the San Francisco peninsula with his wife, a dog, and far too many
cats. He has published three books on the topic of historic true crime. In his free time he
enjoys reading.

This story was originally written for Historic Mysteries and is republished with permission
here.

Sources:

"Dancing Plague" Discovery News website, pulled 6/23/201 1
"Dancing Plague of 1518" Wikipedia, pulled 6/23/2011
"The Dancing Plague of 1518" Cogitz, pulled 6/24/201 1

Image: An engraving based on a drawing by Pieter Brueghel the Elder depicting three women
inflicted with dancing plague being restrained. Source: Wikimedia Commons

When Actors Played Out This Prophecy, Something
Supernatural Happened

charismamag.com

While filming this scene in
'National Geographic's'
version of 'Killing Jesus,' the
actor who plays Peter says
the Spirit was moving. (

Palm Sunday came and
went recently, but as
the Killing Jesus movie re-
enacted it before the scene
before cameras, something
startling happened.

Alexis Rodney, who played
Peter in the televised version of Bill O'Reilly's book, revealed in a podcast that as Christ
entered into the streets and extras were shouting "Hosanna!" the Lord really showed up.

"There was a scene where Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah ... where he's riding
the donkey colt into Jerusalem, and the people are laying the palms on the floor and there
was a moment where it reached near rapture," Rodney says on The Church Boys

"The people — they were going to cut, we had finished the scene — these were people in an
absolute state of rapture. They were just screaming 'Hosanna!'

"They weren't stopping. They were paid supporting actors ... and the camera operator used
his good thinking and just carried on filming ... I felt like a biblical superstar. It was just
absolutely amazing."

If a prophetic re-enactment can have that sort of impact on paid actors, what could this mean
for the world?

Having a diverse cast allowed the producers to expand the audience to include nonbelievers,
Rodney tells The Church Boys.

'It takes in a younger, perhaps more skeptical audience," Rodney says. "It will open up more
to them."

And allow them to prepare the way of the risen Lord?

April 2015

5:00PM EDT 4/6/201 5Jessilyn Justice

YouTube

dysgenics.com

January 6, 2015

Where the Witch-hunters are: Satanic Panic and mental health malpractice

This piece was written in collaboration with Sarah
Ponto Rivera

Where the Witch-hunters are: Satanic Panic
and Mental Health Malpractice

By Douglas Mesner and Sarah Ponto Rivera

“I have met many demons, devils, evil characters,
representatives of Satan, and Satan himself in my
MPD [Multiple Personality Disorder] work. ”

- Colin Ross, MD, 1994

Past President, International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD)

“I remain troubled about the matter of transgenerational satanic cults.”

- Richard Kluft, MD, 2014 Past President, ISSTD

It is with an ironic sense of disdain that we can now look back upon the day-care sex-abuse
hysteria of the 80s and 90s, with its imaginary conspiracy of pedophilic Satanic cult activity,
and remark that one of its primary instigators was a devout Catholic. A foundational text for
the “Satanic Panic”, as it came to be called, was co-authored by the pious psychiatrist
Lawrence Pazderwho, with his client-turned-wife, Michelle Smith, wrote of Smith’s alleged
early ritual abuse at the hands of a secret Devil-worshipping society. Michelle Remembers
(1980), billed as a true story and humored as such within the talk-show circuit of the time,
was a ludicrous supernatural horror story in which both Christ and Satan made dramatic
guest appearances. The senseless, confabulatory ramblings upon which the “facts" of the
book were constructed, were gleaned from hypnotic regression sessions, in which Pazder
claimed Smith had recalled horrific events that had previously been “repressed” deep within
her unconscious mind.

It doesn’t take any lofty credentials in psychology to whiff some air of projection in Catholic
claims, that yet persist, against their imaginary enemy’s loathsome proclivities. And while the
Satanic Panic witch-hunt extended well beyond the Catholic Church, and beyond political
boundaries — even at times finding its paranoid claims prosecuted, without credible
evidence, in the hallowed halls of secular “justice” — one can still easily sense that same
guilty projection in all of the twisted, grotesquely detailed child abuse fantasies of that era. In
passionate tones of moral outrage, self-appointed occult crime authorities and Ritual Abuse
experts gathered at informational meetings and conferences to revel in sadistic child abuse

tales, similar in transparent latency to angered pulpit-pounding outcry against the
“homosexual agenda".

Those who remember the more laughably dated ideas that arose from the panic — e.g. the
demonization of Dungeons & Dragons as a gateway to secretive underworld depravity, or the
fear of insidious ‘backward masked’ subliminal calls to suicide and Satanism in popular music
— will find it hard to believe when we say that the Satanic Panic is still alive and well... in fact
it’s never gone away. But this is the case. The Satanic Panic never died, it just faded from
mainstream attention. Many of the old purveyors still propagandize to insular, dedicated
groups and, in another twisted irony, they mostly spread their delusions in the name of mental
health itself.

Just last year, an eating disorders clinic known as “Castlewood”, in St. Louis, MO, settled four
lawsuits brought against them by former clients who claimed that during the course of their
“treatment” at the center, they had been led to believe that they had repressed memories of
traumatic abuse, including that of the ritualistic, Satanic kind. The author of these delusions, it
was claimed, was one Mark Schwartz, co-founder and former clinical co-director of the
facility. In 2004, on his Curriculum Vitae, Schwartz listed “Dissociative Disorders" as one of
his “Clinical Specialties”. Where one finds “Dissociative Disorders”, one tends to find a belief
in the mythic “Multiple Personality Disorder” (MPD), now rebranded as “Dissociative Identity
Disorder” (DID). And where one finds this alleged disorder, one invariably finds notions of
concealed, “repressed" trauma, and therapies devised to draw forth hidden memories from
the unconscious. Where one finds such therapies, one finds the most hysterical subcultures
of conspiracist delusion imaginable.

Just a few years ago, in 2012, Satanic Ritual Abuse charges against a family in Missouri were
eventually dropped, with the prosecutor, Kellie Wingate Campbell stating to the Associated
Press, “Whether or not I believe the allegations is an independent question from whether or
not I believe I can prove each and every element of the case beyond a reasonable doubt at
trial.” Clearly she felt she could not. What Campbell failed to mention is that many charges
were already disproven when alleged physical evidence, including buried bodies, failed to
manifest in a massive excavation of the family’s property. Medical records subpoenaed from
the accusers also failed to provide record of alleged injuries that the Judge himself noted
“would have certainly required critical care.” Also left unsaid was that the accusations were
the result of the accusers’ “recovered memories”.

The accused, financially ruined by legal fees, and stigmatized by the accusations, can never
recover from the episode. Campbell, of course, need have no fear of being so much as
reprimanded for prosecutorial misconduct. Even Lael Rubin, the prosecutor in the seminal
Satanic abuse daycare case of McMartin Preschool — the longest, most expensive case in
American history, marred by false testimony and concealed exonerating evidence — escaped
any official censure. Martha Coakley, the Massachusetts Attorney General who, as District
Attorney, fought hard to keep a clearly innocent victim of the hysteria, Gerald Amirault, in
prison for 18 years, just barely lost a bid for Governor in the most recent election.

The perpetrators and purveyors of the Satanic Panic, who destroyed countless lives and

families, never experienced justice for their cruel stupidity, and many of them still operate with
smug impunity exactly as they did during the height of the hysteria.

Just a year ago, Nov. 26th, 2013, a former day-care worker named Fran Keller was finally
released from prison after 21 years spent for crimes she could not possibly have committed
by any reasonable interpretation of reality. With no physical evidence to support the
accusations (which included claims of graveyard rituals, cannibalism, and medically
undetected limb transplants) Fran, and her husband, Dan, were convicted on the most
dubious of child testimony drawn from coercive and incompetent interrogations by zealous
witch-hunters. The children were ignored when they claimed they were not abused at all (as
happened even in testimony) — and the impossibility of the claims was dutifully ignored as
irrelevant to claims of a greater truth.

Dr. Randy Noblitt’s expert testimony was instrumental in the conviction of the Kellers. Noblitt,
an old-school anti-Satanist buffoon of the subliminal message-divining kind, explained away
the lack of physical evidence by invoking the conspiracy’s magnitude: police officers and
other officials were involved in the cover-up. The children had been systematically
traumatized as a means to brainwash them into repressing the memories. Following the trial,
Noblitt revealed in an interview that he had caught Mr. Keller using vague hand signals in an
effort to communicate to secret fellow Satanists in the jury.

In a letter to the Court on behalf of the Keller’s eventual successful appeal, Associate
Professor Dr. Evan Harrington, of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology noted that
“the world portrayed by Dr. Noblitt is one in which thousands of cult abusers have infiltrated
respectable society, and specifically daycare centers, in order to operate a clandestine
subculture engaged in massive levels of felonious criminality, all based on mind control
triggered by secret handshakes and hand signals.” The letter, bearing signatures of support
from various esteemed social and behavioral scientists, concludes by stating that Noblitt’s
“opinions have been scientifically discredited, and are not shared by the vast majority of
clinicians and researchers within the field of psychology.”

But where is Randy “L’il Knob" Noblitt today, now that social conditions aren’t nearly so
amenable to the tin-foil hat Torquemada whose doctoral thesis was on The Celestial
Concomitants of Human Behavior, more colloquially known as Astrology? He’s a professor of
Clinical Psychology at Alliant University where his faculty profile lists his primary expertise as
“Cult and ritual abuse", and among “courses taught” we find “Ritual Abuse” as one of but
three.

L’il Knob could be found in attendance at last month’s conference of the International Society
for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), “an international, non-profit, professional
association organized to develop and promote comprehensive, clinically effective and
empirically based resources and responses to trauma and dissociation and to address its
relevance to other theoretical constructs.”

Despite its inclusion in the 5th edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual (DSM-V), DID doesn’t enjoy general support among psychiatric
professionals as a legitimate disorder. Before its publication, the DSM-V task force received a

letter signed by top psychiatrists, urging them to remove the condition from the manual. Dr.
Allen Frances, task force chair of DSM-IV, lamented the continued inclusion of DID in the
DSM, referring to the disorder as “complete bunk” in a 2013 Wall Street Journal interview.
Nonetheless, it remains.

The ISSTD struggles to maintain the appearance of an “empirically based” outfit, despite zero
scientific support. Retrospective surveys of the DID-diagnosed are quantified into statistics,
and presented as evidence of the condition’s legitimacy. Bad data is used, and good data is
abused. In his 2003 book, Remembering Trauma, Dr. Richard McNally of Harvard University
meticulously debunks primary DID literature. The actual substance of his findings are dutifully
ignored by the faithful.

Some among the ISSTD utilize treatments insurance companies won’t even cover, leading
therapists like Sebern Fisher (MA, BCN), to recommend creative billing. (“Stop recording...”
Fisher demanded at the conference before confiding to the audience, “I bill psychotherapy
code...l don't want that on the record. ...There’s a code for biofeedback, assisted
psychotherapy, which no insurance company acknowledges.”)

Su Baker (MEd), also speaking at the recent ISSTD conference, recognizes that DID is
quickly being recognized as a simple renaming of the debunked MPD, so she
recommends easing new minds into the concept through courses in “complex trauma”. “We
can’t use the word dissociation... So we use complex trauma knowing that down the road you
lead people into the dissociative field and the way of thinking about that.”

Colin Ross, an ISSTD past president and recipient of their “Distinguished Achievement
Award”, has devised standardized interview schedule to make DID sound ‘sciency’. With the
Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (DDIS), according to Ross, one can say, “Well, I
made a clinical diagnosis and I confirmed it,”... “And so, in the United States, that is a little bit
[...] legally protected.”

Ross fully understands the importance of legal protection. In Manitoba, he was accused of
malpractice — the worst case of medical malpractice one expert witness claimed to have
ever seen — by a former patient, Roma Hart. She claimed Ross had instilled her with bizarre
and perverse delusions, including the belief that her family was involved in a Satanic crime-
ring, and that Hart herself had been forcibly impregnated by extraterrestrials, even birthing a
hybrid infant. Overmedication brought Ms. Hart to the precipice of death on several
occasions. Ross relocated to Texas where almost identical claims were brought against him
by one Martha Tyo. The hospital settled, and Ross now runs his own research foundation “to
further the understanding of psychological trauma and its consequences.”

In 2008, Ross beclowned himself by claiming he could demonstrate “paranormal” eye-beams,
measured in EEG. When it was pointed out (by a real scientist) that his readings were merely
picking up artifact from blinks and muscle movement, Ross agreed, though he continued to
insist his eye-beams were real.

The DDIS contains a series of questions related to “Supernatural/Possession/ESP
Experiences/Cults” which, if authored by anybody but Ross, one might reasonably assume to

be an attempt to measure delusional beliefs. However, given Ross’s history, and the history
of “dissociative disorder” studies in general, it’s not outrageous to wonder if the supernatural
claims are taken at face value.

In 2012, a book entitled 22 Faces carried a forward by Ross and an endorsement from ISSTD
past president Joyanna Silberg. Marketed as the “true story” of a woman who recovered
memories of Satanic abuse, the book was an absurd tale of superstitious paranoia. In it, the
protagonist experiences ESP, demonic possession, is abused by levitating Satanists, and is
ultimately saved by way of divine intervention when Jesus himself intercedes on her behalf.
Silberg writes that she and her peers “are all too familiar with the kinds of crimes and
disorders described in 22 Faces."

And this is where today’s Western, somewhat secularized, witch-hunters currently reside:
among psychology’s pseudoscientific fringe; feeding delusion to the mentally vulnerable
behind the protection of therapist-client privilege, and under the guise trauma therapy. While
they revel in their disturbed pornographic fantasies of child-rape and extreme abuse, they
proclaim their critics to be demented defenders of pedophilic assault. They co-opt the
narrative of victim’s rights to conceal their absurd conspiracy theories from criticism and
scrutiny. To question the validity of DID, or even the reality of a Satanic conspiracy, is —
according to this defensive ploy — to question the very existence of child abuse itself. In this
way, actual victims of abuse are used as human shields to defend our modern inquisitors as
they engage in the most outrageous and under-investigated mental health scandal of our
time.

Between the two of them, the authors have attended conferences, seminars, and workshops,
spanning Recovered Memory subcultures from Alien Abduction suppoii groups, Ritual Abuse
seminars, Past-Life regression sessions, and ISSTD lectures. As they sift through their
findings and transcribe their audio, the results will be posted at www.dysgenics.com. They
hope to bring reform to the Mental Health field, and promote general awareness of
Recovered Memory quackery.

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Where Was the Land of Punt

June 12, 2014

historicmysteries.com

The ancient Egyptians documented everything.
Surviving paintings and writings show details
about almost every aspect of life in that place and
era. Wars and religion and rulers are all recorded
in ways that have fortunately lasted into modern
times.

Business and trade were no different-extensive
documentation chronicled who the ancient
Egyptians were doing trade with and what exactly
that trade was.

According to information unearthed by
archeologists, the land called Punt was a great source of riches and slaves and exotic spices
and wild animals. From the descriptions that survived, the land of Punt was a peaceful and
prosperous country that seemed to have a wide variety of highly valued goods to trade. The
discovery of such a society would be a huge accomplishment for an archeologist.

The only problem is that nobody today knows where Punt was.

But people have looked. The first problem is that we have to rely solely on ancient Egyptian
information. No other ancient civilization, so far, has unearthed a single reference to the land
of Punt-which is unusual. This would imply that either Punt only dealt with Egypt (not likely),
or else other societies referred to it by other names.

Any country with so many riches and expensive goods would be ripe for conquest, and yet
there is no mention of Egypt (who went to war frequently with neighbors) ever going to war
with Punt.

The most evidence about the land of Punt comes from a temple dedicated to the female
Pharaoh Hatshepsut, who ruled for more than 20 years circa 1465 BCE. A large relief of a
trading mission to Punt is featured on the walls of the temple. We even know the names of
the rulers of Punt during Hatshepsut’s reign: King Parahu and Queen Ati. But the Egyptians
either forgot to put concrete directions to Punt in their temples and such, or else we haven’t
uncovered such evidence yet.

According to the art that has survived, men from the land of
Punt, unlike ancient Egyptians, had long hair and little facial hair.
The people of Punt lived in round houses built on stilts-most
, likely to avoid damage from flooding in their land.

Wherever that land was.

I _

There are various clues. Animals living in Punt, according to the

A wall relief in Egypt depicting
typical Punt House.

A relief depicting Hatshepsut's expedition to the Land
of Punt.

Egyptian paintings, lived primarily in the area around the Red
Sea on the Arabian peninsula. But other scholars, due to the origin areas of some of the
traded goods, have proposed a location south of ancient Egypt in Africa. The surviving
evidence is just not clear.

No remains have been unearthed by archeologists showing a civilization that equates itself to
the land of Punt.

Author Bill Price even questions whether Punt existed at all, or was the equivalent of an
ancient Egyptian imaginary utopia. This is possibly reinforced by an alternate name of Punt
that translates into “Land of the God(s).”

There are even some tantalizing allusions that the Egyptians believed they originally came
from Punt and journeyed and founded ancient Egypt after leaving that homeland.

Punt may currently lie below mounds of earth and sand and we won’t know the location of
this marvelous land until future excavations unearth an ancient paradise.

References:

Price, Bill. “History’s Greatest Mysteries”.

“Punt“, Wikipedia, pulled June 1 1 , 2014

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Who Put Bella In The Wych Elm?

January 29, 2015

It was the height of WWII and England was in
turmoil. Countless people were left homeless by
enemy action and numerous others moved
between one place and another in order to live
somewhere “safe.”

In April of 1943, four young boys were searching
for birds’ nests in a place called Hagley Woods
near Stourbrige, a town in the area known as the
West Midlands. Legally, they were not supposed
to be there, but they snuck into the area and went
exploring. Eventually they came across a large
Wych elm (Ulmus glabra).

One of the boys decided to climb the tree and see if there were any nests to be found. What
he found was something quite different.

In the hollow center of the tree, he saw what he thought to be an animal skull. He reached
down to pick it up and discovered to his horror that the object was actually a human skull,
complete with teeth and patches of hair. He quickly dropped the skull back into the tree’s
hollow. The boys talked among themselves and decided that since they were on the property
illegally that they would keep the grisly find a secret.

But one of the boys apparently couldn’t keep a secret. He told his parents of the finding of the
skull and they quickly contacted the local authorities.

Police went to investigate and pulled the skull from its hiding place. They dug further into the
tree and came away with a full skeleton (minus one hand) and a wedding ring, one shoe, and
remnants of cloth in the skull’s mouth. They dug around the base of the tree and later
discovered the missing hand.

A forensic examination by a local professor revealed the fact that the skeleton was that of a
female of about 35 years old. He estimated that she had been dead for approximately 18
months and had most likely been put into the elm while still alive or soon after death. He
made this guess based on his belief that the body would not have fit into the hollow of the
tree once rigor mortis had set in. The presence of the cloth (later determined to be a kind of
taffeta) in the skull’s mouth indicated the strong possibility that the unknown woman had died
from asphyxiation.

As stated, the find took place during a time of great movement of people within England, and
so the chances of identifying the skeleton would be difficult. True, she could have been
someone from the local area, but she could just as easily have been someone passing
through the area on the way to somewhere else further away. The number of “missing”

women of that era was enormous.

But the authorities did their best to find a name to go with the skeleton and to develop
theories of how she got there in the first place.

Being wartime, one possibility discussed was that the woman had been involved in some kind
of spying for the Germans. Had she been a spy who needed to be killed for some reason? Or
had she been a loyal Brit who had stumbled upon spy activity in the area and needed to be
silenced? This seemed an unlikely scenario, but it was a possible explanation.

A more sinister guess was also developed. Because one of the woman’s hands was found
separated from the rest of the body, some theorized that the woman had died in some sort of
human sacrifice. There is a folk belief that a “Hand of Glory” can give magical powers.

Usually the hand is that of an executed criminal and then dried and used for occult purposes.
Other authorities believed the much more plausible explanation that the hand had originally
been with the rest of the skeleton but had been moved by wild animals in the area.

The puzzle continued for several months and then got more
mysterious. Starting in December, graffiti was painted (or put there
by chalk) throughout the area. Initially, near the site of the body
was written: “Who put Luebbella down the wych-elm?” The
presence of a name for the skeleton was investigated by the
police, especially as “Luebbella” is an unusual name. This lead led
nowhere. But later graffiti, found on a stone monument near the
site asked: “Who Put Bella In The Wych Elm?” This would be
replicated in other areas, but nobody was ever caught putting the
graffiti into place.

Police wondered at the skeleton being named at all. Did someone
in the locale know the identity of the slain woman? Was she
someone named “Bella”? Searches through the local area turned
up no missing person report of someone with that name.

Similar graffiti would be written on walls and monuments for quite some time, but eventually
the graffiti just stopped. Nobody knew why.

The legend of “Bella” became local lore and the tale is still related to children today, ensuring
that the mystery of the unfortunate woman in the Wych elm will endure for many years to
come.

Sources:

“Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?” Stranger Dimensions website, pulled 1-27-15.

“Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?" Wikiepedia, pulled 1-27-15.

“Bella in the Wych Elm” Brian Haughton.com, pulled 1-27-15.

Graffiti found on the Wychbury

Obelisk. Public domain image.

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Who Was Sir Thomas Malory?

March 19, 2015

Sir Thomas Malory is the author of one of the classic sources of Arthurian legends.

The problem is, nobody knows who he was.

His masterpiece “ Le Morte d’Arthuh' chronicled the various histories and adventures of the
(possibly mythical) king, his queen Guinevere, and the assorted Knights of the Round Table.
In the manuscript, the author represents himself as “Syr Thomas Maleore knyght," and states
that he completed the work in 1469 or 1470.

These facts point to several possible Thomas Malorys in various documents from the
medieval era.

The earliest known references to the author are found in a 15th century book now known as
the Winchester Manuscript. Intriguingly, Malory is referred to as a prisoner, although it is not
clear why he was imprisoned and for how long. Malory addresses his reading audience
personally at the end of one of his manuscripts: “/ pray you all gentlemen and gentlewomen
that readeth this book... pray for me while I am alive, that God send me good deliverance
[from prison]-and when I am dead, I pray you all pray for my soul." This direct reference does
not particularly specify his identity.

Throughout the centuries, different men of this name have been proposed as the author.

Many believe that a man from Stretton-under-Fosse in the English area of Warwickshire is
the mysterious author. Various editors of “Le Morte d’AiIhuh' in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries have pointed towards this specific personage. But a 1928 biography showed that,
according to the existent records, this man had been imprisoned for a variety of offenses,
including kidnapping, rape, robbing churches, and cattle raids. This led one editor to state
that this made the life of the Warwickshire man look “more like an account of exemplary
thuggery than chivalry.” Could a man who committed such barbaric crimes be the author of
such a refined manuscript of courtly manners?

So there are other candidates.

A scholar living in the 1500s declared that the true Malory was actually a Welshman living in
the area of Maelor on the England/Wales border. This native of Wales may also have been
related to a known Welsh poet named Edward Rhys Maelor.

In 1897, an antiquarian wrote an article in “The Athenaeum" literary magazine stating his
belief that Malory was a man living in the English village Papworth St. Agnes in
Huntingdonshire. This identification is based on a 1496 will of a Thomas Malory born in 1425.
The problem with this identification is that there is no proof that this man became a knight and
was thus able to be called “Sir”. The author’s known claim to a title of nobility is an integral
clue in establishing his identity.

Finally, there are some records of a man named Thomas Malory known to have lived in
Hutton Conyers in Yorkshire. As with the candidate above, however, there is no proof that
this man ever became a knight or was imprisoned for any known reason.

“Le Morte d’Arthuf' is quite popular, with a variety of translations currently in print. There is no
sign of it fading from the limelight. And, regardless of his identity, Sir Thomas Malory will go
down in history as the author of perhaps the pinnacle of early English literature.

Sources:

“Thomas Malory”, Wikipedia, pulled 3/15/15.

“Sir Thomas Malory”, infoplease.com, pulled 3/15/15
“Le Morte d’Arthur”, Cliffnotes.com, pulled 3/15/15.

Why animals eat psychoactive plants

By Johann Hah

boingboing.net

Johann Hari, author of Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs,
learns about drunk elephants, the stoned water buffalo, and the grieving mongoose.

The United Nations says the drug war’s rationale is to build “a drug-free world — we can do
it!” U.S. government officials agree, stressing that “there is no such thing as recreational drug
use.” So this isn’t a war to stop addiction, like that in my family, or teenage drug use. It is a
war to stop drug use among all humans, everywhere. All these prohibited chemicals need to
be rounded up and removed from the earth. That is what we are fighting for.

I began to see this goal differently after I learned the story of the drunk elephants, the stoned
water buffalo, and the grieving mongoose. They were all taught to me by a remarkable
scientist in Los Angeles named Professor Ronald K. Siegel.

***

The tropical storm in Hawaii had reduced the mongoose’s home to a mess of mud, and lying
there, amid the dirt and the water, was the mongoose’s mate — dead. Professor Siegel, a
silver-haired official adviser to two U.S. presidents and to the World Health Organization, was
watching this scene. The mongoose found the corpse, and it made a decision: it wanted to
get out of its mind.

Two months before, the professor had planted a powerful hallucinogen called silver morning
glory in the pen. The mongooses had all tried it, but they didn’t seem to like it: they stumbled
around disoriented for a few hours and had stayed away from it ever since. But not now.
Stricken with grief, the mongoose began to chew. Before long, it had tuned in and dropped
out.

It turns out this wasn’t a freak occurrence in the animal kingdom. It is routine. As a young
scientific researcher, Siegel had been confidently toldby his supervisor that humans were the
only species that seek out drugs to use for their own pleasure. But Siegel had seen cats
lunging at catnip — which, he knew, contains chemicals that mimic the pheromones in a male
tomcat’s pee — so, he wondered, could his supervisor really be right? Given the number of
species in the world, aren’t there others who want to get high, or stoned, or drunk?

This question set him on a path that would take twenty-five years of his life, studying the
drug-taking habits of animals from the mongooses of Hawaii to the elephants of South Africa
to the grasshoppers of Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia. It was such an implausible mission
that in one marijuana field in Hawaii, he was taken hostage by the local drug dealers,
because when he told them he was there to see what happened when mongooses ate
marijuana, they thought it was the worst police cover story they had ever heard.

What Ronald K. Siegel discovered seems strange at first. He explains in his book
Intoxication:

After sampling the numbing nectar of certain orchids, bees drop to the ground in a
temporary stupor, then weave back for more. Birds gorge themselves on
inebriating berries, then fly with reckless abandon. Cats eagerly sniff aromatic
“pleasure” plants, then play with imaginary objects. Cows that browse special
range weeds will twitch, shake, and stumble back to the plants for more.

Elephants purposely get drunk off fermented fruits. Snacks of “magic mushrooms"
cause monkeys to sit with their heads in their hands in a posture reminiscent of
Rodin’s Thinker. The pursuit of intoxication by animals seems as purposeless as it
is passionate. Many animals engage these plants, or their manufactured allies,
despite the danger of toxic or poisonous effects.

Noah’s Ark, he found, would have looked a lot like London on a Saturday night. “In every
country, in almost every class of animal,” Siegel explains, “I found examples of not only the
accidental but the intentional use of drugs.” In West Bengal, a group of 150 elephants
smashed their way into a warehouse and drank a massive amount of moonshine. They got so
drunk they went on a rampage and killed five people, as well as demolishing seven concrete
buildings. If you give hash to male mice, they become horny and seek out females — but
then they find “they can barely crawl over the females, let alone mount them,” so after a little
while they yawn and start licking their own penises.

Excerpted from Johann Hari's Chasing the Scream: The First and
Last Days of the War on Drugs. Available from Amazon.

In Vietnam, the water buffalo have always shunned the local opium
plants. They don’t like them. But when the American bombs started to
fall all around them during the war, the buffalo left their normal
grazing grounds, broke into the opium fields, and began to chew.

They would then look a little dizzy and dulled. When they were
traumatized, it seems, they wanted — like the mongoose, like us —
to escape from their thoughts.

I kept returning to the UN pledge to build a drug-free world. There
was one fact, above all others, that I kept placing next to it in my mind. It is a fact that seems
at first glance both obvious and instinctively wrong. Only 10 percent of drug users have a
problem with their substance. Some 90 percent of people who use a drug — the overwhelming
majority — are not harmed by it. This figure comes not from a pro-legalization group, but from
the United Nations Office on Drug Control, the global coordinator of the drug war. Even
William Bennett, the most aggressive drug czar in U.S. history, admits: “Non-addicted users
still comprise the vast bulk of our drug-involved population.”

This is hard to dispute, yet hard to absorb. If we think about people we know, it seems about
right — only a small minority of my friends who drink become alcoholics, and only a small
minority of the people I know who use drugs on a night out have become addicts.

But if you think about how we are trained to think about drugs, this seems instinctively wrong,

even dangerous. All we see in the public sphere are the casualties. The unharmed 90 percent
use in private, and we rarely hear about it or see it. The damaged 10 percent, by contrast, are
the only people we ever see using drugs out on the streets. The result is that the harmed 10
percent make up 1 00 percent of the official picture. It is as if our only picture of drinkers were
a homeless person lying in a gutter necking neat gin. This impression is then reinforced with
the full power of the state. For example, in 1995, the World Health Organization (WHO)
conducted a massive scientific study of cocaine and its effects. They discovered that
“experimental and occasional use are by far the most common types of use, and
compulsive/dysfunctional [use] is far less common." The U.S. government threatened to cut
off funding to the WHO unless they suppressed the report. It has never been published; we
know what it says only because it was leaked.

As I write this, I feel uncomfortable. The 10 percent who are harmed are most vivid to me —
they are some of the people I love most. And there is another, more complex reason why I
feel awkward writing about this. For anybody who suspects that we need to reform the drug
laws, there is an easier argument to make, and a harder argument to make.

The easier argument is to say that we all agree drugs are bad — it's just that drug prohibition
is even worse. I have made this argument in debates in the past. Prohibition, I said, doesn’t
stop the problem, it simply piles another series of disasters onto the already-existing disaster
of drug use. In this argument, we are all antidrug. The only difference is between
prohibitionists who believe the tragedy of drug use can be dealt with by more jail cells in
California and more military jeeps on the streets of Juarez, and the reformers who believe the
tragedy of drug use can be dealt by moving those funds to educate kids and treat addicts.

There’s a lot of truth in this argument. It is where my instincts lie. But — as I try to think
through this problem — I have to admit it is only a partial truth.

Here, I think, is the harder, more honest argument. Some drug use causes horrible harm, as I
know very well, but the overwhelming majority of people who use prohibited drugs do it
because they get something good out of it — a fun night out dancing, the ability to meet a
deadline, the chance of a good night’s sleep, or insights into parts of their brain they couldn’t
get to on their own. For them, it’s a positive experience, one that makes their lives better.
That’s why so many of them choose it. They are not suffering from false consciousness, or
hubris. They don’t need to be stopped from harming themselves, because they are not
harming themselves. As the American writer Nick Gillespie puts it: “Far from our drugs
controlling us, by and large we control our drugs; as with alcohol, the primary motivation is to
enjoy ourselves, not to destroy ourselves . . . There is such a thing as responsible drug use,
and it is the norm, not the exception.”

So, although it is against my instincts, I realized I couldn’t give an honest account of drug use
in this book if I talked only about the harm it causes. If I’m serious about this subject, I also
have to look at how drug use is deeply widespread — and mostly positive.

***

Professor Siegel’s story of buzzing cows and tripping bees is, he believes, a story about us.

We are an animal species. As soon as plants began to be eaten by animals for the first time
— way back in prehistory, before the first human took his first steps — the plants evolved
chemicals to protect themselves from being devoured and destroyed. But these chemicals
could, it soon turned out, produce strange effects. In some cases, instead of poisoning the
plant’s predators, they — quite by accident — altered their consciousness. This is when the
pleasure of getting wasted enters history. All human children experience the impulse early on:
it’s why when you were little you would spin around and around, or hold your breath to get a
head rush. You knew it would make you sick, but your desire to change your consciousness a
little — to experience a new and unfamiliar rush — outweighed your aversion to nausea.

There has never been a society in which humans didn’t serially seek out these sensations.
High in the Andes in 2000 b.c., they were making pipes through which they smoked
hallucinogenic herbs. Ovid said drug-induced ecstasy was a divine gift. The Chinese were
cultivating opium by a.d. 700. Hallucinogens and chemicals caused by burning cannabis were
found in clay pipe fragments from William Shakespeare’s house. George Washington insisted
that American soldiers be given whiskey every day as part of their rations.

“The ubiquity of drug use is so striking,” the physician Andrew Weil concludes, that “it must
represent a basic human appetite.” Professor Siegel claims the desire to alter our
consciousness is “the fourth drive” in all human minds, alongside the desire to eat, drink, and
have sex — and it is “biologically inevitable.” It provides us with moments of release and relief.

***

Thousands of people were streaming in to a ten-day festival in September where they were
planning — after a long burst of hard work — to find some chemical release, relaxation, and
revelry. They found drugs passed around the crowd freely, to anybody who wanted them.
Everyone who took them soon felt an incredible surge of ecstasy. Then came the vivid,
startling hallucinations. You suddenly felt, as one user put it, something that was “new,
astonishing, irrational to rational cognition.”

Some people came back every year because they loved this experience so much. As the
crowd thronged and yelled and sang, it became clear it was an extraordinary mix of human
beings. There were farmers who had just finished their harvest, and some of the biggest
celebrities around. Their names — over the years — included Sophocles, Aristotle, Plato, and
Cicero.

The annual ritual in the Temple at Eleusis, eighteen kilometers northwest of Athens, was a
drug party on a vast scale. It happened every year for two thousand years, and anybody who
spoke the Greek language was free to come. Harry Anslinger said that drug use represents
“nothing less than an assault on the foundations of Western civilization,” but here, at the
actual foundations of Western civilization, drug use was ritualized and celebrated.

I first discovered this fact by reading the work of the British critic Stuart Walton in a brilliant
book called Out of It, and then I followed up with some of his sources, which include the work
of Professor R. Gordon Wasson, Professor Carl Ruck, and other writers.

Everyone who attended the Eleusinian mysteries was sworn to secrecy about what happened
there, so our knowledge is based on scraps of information that were recorded in its final
years, as it was being suppressed. We do know that a special cup containing a mysterious
chemical brew of hallucinogens would be passed around the crowd, and a scientific study
years later seemed to prove it contained a molecular relative of LSD taken from a fungus that
infested cereal crops and caused hallucinations. The chemical contents of this cup were
carefully guarded for the rest of the year. The drugs were legal - indeed, this drug use was
arranged by public officials - and regulated. You could use them, but only in the designated
temple for those ten days. One day in 415 b.c., a partygoing general named Alcibiades
smuggled some of the mystery drug out and took it home for his friends to use at their parties.
Walton writes: “Caught in possession with intent to supply, he was the first drug criminal."

But while it was a crime away from the T emple and other confined spaces, it was a glory
within it. According to these accounts, it was Studio 54 spliced with St. Peter’s Basilica -
revelry with religious reverence.

They believed the drugs brought them closer to the gods, or even made it possible for them
to become gods themselves. The classicist Dr. D.C.A.

Hillman wrote that the “founding fathers” of the Western world

were drug users, plain and simple: they grew the stuff, they sold the stuff, and
more important, they used the stuff . . . The ancient world didn't have a Nancy
Reagan, it didn’t wage a billion-dollar drug war, it didn’t imprison people who used
drugs, and it didn’t embrace sobriety as a virtue. It indulged . . . and from this
world in which drugs were a universally accepted part of life sprang art, literature,
science, and philosophy . . . The West would not have survived without these so-
called junkies and drug dealers.

There was some political grumbling for years that women were behaving too freely during
their trances, but this annual festival ended only when the drug party crashed into
Christianity. The early Christians wanted there to be one route to ecstasy, and one route only
- through prayer to their God. You shouldn’t feel anything that profound or pleasurable except
in our ceremonies at our churches. The first tugs towards prohibition were about power, and
purity of belief. If you are going to have one God and one Church, you need to stop
experiences that make people feel that they can approach God on their own. It is no
coincidence that when new drugs come along, humans often use religious words to describe
them, like ecstasy. They are often competing for the same brain space - our sense of awe
and joy.

So when the emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and brought the Empire with him,
the rituals at the Temple at Eleusis were doomed. They were branded a cult and shut down
by force. The new Christianity would promote wine only in tiny sips. Intoxication had to be
sparing. This “forcible repression by Christianity," Walton explains, “represents the beginning
of systematic repression of the intoxication impulse in the lives of Western citizens."

Yet in every generation after, some humans would try to rebuild their own Temple at Eleusis

— in their own minds, and wherever they could clear a space free of local Anslingers.

Harry Anslinger, it turns out, represented a trend running right back to the ancient world.

When Sigmund Freud first suggested that everybody has elaborate sexual fantasies, that it is
as natural as breathing, he was dismissed as a pervert and lunatic. People wanted to believe
that sexual fantasy was something that happened in other people - filthy people, dirty people.
They took the parts of their subconscious that generated these wet dreams and daydreams
and projected them onto somebody else, the depraved people Over There, who had to be
stopped. Stuart Walton and the philosopher Terence McKenna both write that we are at this
stage with our

equally universal desire to seek out altered mental states. McKenna explains: “We are
discovering that human beings are creatures of chemical habit with the same horrified
disbelief as when the Victorians discovered that humans are creatures of sexual fantasy and
obsession.”

Just as we are rescuing the sex drive from our subconscious and from shame, so we need to
take the intoxication drive out into the open where it can breathe. Stuart Walton calls for a
whole new field of human knowledge called “intoxicology." He writes: “Intoxication plays, or
has played, a part in the lives of virtually everybody who has ever lived ... To seek to deny it
is not only futile; it is a dereliction of an entirely constitutive part of who we are.”

***

After twenty-five years of watching stoned mice, drunken elephants, and tripping mongooses,
Ronald K. Siegel tells me he suspects he has learned something about this. “We’re not so
different from the other animal life-forms on this planet,” he says.

When he sees people raging against all drug use, he is puzzled. “They’re denying their own
chemistry,” he says. “The brain produces endorphins. When does it produce endorphins? In
stress, and in pain. What are endorphins? They are morphine-like compounds. It’s a natural
occurrence in the brain that makes them feel good . . . People feel euphoric sometimes.

These are chemical changes - the same kind of chemical changes, with the same molecular
structures, that these plants [we use to make our drugs] are producing . . . We’re all
producing the same stuff.”

Indeed, he continues, “the experience you have in orgasm is partially chemical - it’s a drug.
So people deny they want this? Come on! . . . It’s fun. It’s enjoyable. And it’s chemical. That’s
intoxication.” He seems for a moment to think back over all the animals guzzling drugs he has
watched over all these years. “I don’t see,” he says, “any difference in where the chemical
came from.”

This is in us. It is in our brains. It is part of who we are.

About the Author

Johann Hari is a British journalist who has written for the New York Times, Le Monde, the Los

Angeles Times, the Independent, the Guardian, Slate, the New Republic, and the Nation. He
has reported from many countries, from the Congo to Venezuela. He was twice named
Newspaper Journalist of the Year by Amnesty International UK, awarded the Martha Gellhorn
Prize for turning political writing into an art, and later named Journalist of the Year by
Stonewall. He can be followed on Twitter: @johannhari101

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William Desmond Taylor - Historic Mysteries

January 27, 2012

historicmysteries.com

During the evening of February 1, 1922, silent
movie director William Desmond Taylor was shot
to death by a single bullet in his Los Angeles
bungalow. His body was found the next morning
by his houseman.

These would be the only solid facts known about
the murder, as the chaos that ensued made it
impossible to put together the pieces of the
numerous puzzles that surrounded Taylor’s death.

By Hollywood standards, Taylor had led a
relatively quiet life. He lived alone and the films he
directed did well. He had friends in the business, but was not known to be excessively social.
He was “the quiet type.”

After the murder, the police investigators had a Herculean task from the very start. Some of
the frustrating aspects of the crime they needed to untangle included:

SUSPECTS

• Two young actresses who might (or might not) have been having affairs with Taylor.

• The rigidly controlling mother of one of those actresses.

• Taylor’s former personal assistant (who may have been Taylor’s long-lost brother)
who had stolen a significant amount of money from Taylor and then vanished.

• Local drug czars, who were worried about Taylor’s efforts to stop the widespread use
of illegal drugs in the film industry.

• Taylor’s current houseman who might (or might not) have been having an affair with
Taylor.

• Within one month of the murder, more than 300 people had confessed to the murder,
some from as far away as Paris.

WITNESSES

• Taylor’s neighbor told police she had seen a man leaving Taylor’s residence around
the time of the murder, but later stated it was possibly a woman dressed as a man.

• A passerby and a gas station attendant who both claimed a man had asked for
directions to Taylor’s house on the night in question.

EVIDENCE

• Before the police arrived, executives from Taylor’s studio were called and flooded the
crime scene, allegedly taking away letters and many pieces of vital evidence.

• A set of keys in Taylor’s possession that did not match any locks in Taylor’s house or

William Desmond Taylor

at his studio.

• A handkerchief monogrammed with the letter “S” that disappeared after it had been
found by the police.

• On the day before his murder, Taylor allegedly withdrew $2,500 from his bank
account. The following day, he deposited the same amount back into his bank account.

• A phone call shortly before Taylor’s death that may (or may not) have been overheard
by a young actress visiting Taylor.

• Burglary did not seem to be the motive. Money and jewelry was found on Taylor’s
body.

• Taylor’s body apparently had been posed by the murderer in the position it was found.

• Soon after the body was discovered, a man claiming to be a doctor rushed in, did a
cursory investigation of the body, ludicrously declared the death to have been due to
natural causes (despite the bullet hole), and then left, never to be heard from again.

With all this frenzied activity and these bizarre circumstances, the newspapers made the
crime and the subsequent unsuccessful investigation into a circus.

Over the years the police would track down various leads and half-truths, but with so many
contradictions and dead-ends, the investigation went nowhere and the crime has never been
solved.

It remains a notorious case in certain circles. Amateur sleuths continue to weigh the “facts” in
order to solve the case. There is an active community on the Internet dedicated to
“Taylorology” that discusses all aspects of the crime in great detail.

The murder remains a great mystery worthy of a Hollywood movie.

Sources:

“Who Killed William Desmond Taylor?" The Crime Library website, pulled 20-Jan-12.

“The Case of the Movie Murder” TRUE magazine, June 1946.

1/11/2015

Winter's Effigies: The Deviant History of the Snowman | Atlas Obscura

Winter’s Effigies: The Deviant History of the Snowman atlasobscura.com
by Rebecca Burgan / 17 Dec 2014

article-image

Dutch queen Wilhemina & princess Juliana
as snowpeople in the Netherlands (1913) (via
Nationaal Archief)

Humans are innately drawn to creating
effigies of their own likenesses, often forging
the figures from a crude stack of frozen balls
plopped one atop of another. Building a
snowman utilizes materials that are free of
cost, easy to manipulate, and plentiful in
certain times and places. It requires minimal
artistic skill, as the placement of a few simple
twigs and rocks can furnish your creation with
an eerily expressive personality.

article-image

illuminated manuscript of the Book of Hours from
Hague, Netherlands (shown above).

Snowman with charred backside in a 14th-
century Book of Hours (via Koninklijke
Bibliotheek)

Early snowman documentation has been
discovered as far back as the Middle Ages,
but we must assume that humans, creative
beings that they are, have taken advantage
of the icy materials that fall from the sky
ever since winter and mankind have
mutually existed. Bob Eckstein, author of
The History of the Snowman, found the
snowman’s earliest known depiction in an
1380 in the Koninkijke Bibliotheek in The

The despondent snowman seems to be of anti-Semitic nature, shaped with the stacked-ball
method, and donning a jaunty Jewish cap. As he sits slumped with his back turned to the
deadly fire, the adjacent text pronounces the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Apparently, plague-
ridden Europeans needed a comical stooge onto whom they could foist their blame and
frustration, and the Jewish snowman fit that bill.

Women attacking a cop snowman in a 1937 painting by Hans Dahl (via Wikimedia)

In the Middle Ages, building snowmen was a way for a community to find the silver lining in a

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horribly oppressive winter rife with
starvation, poverty, and other life-
threatening conditions. In 1511, the
townspeople of Brussels banded
together to construct over 100
snowmen in a public art installation
known as the Miracle of 1511. This
event was uncovered by Eckstein in
his The History of the Snowman book.

Their snowmen embodied
a dissatisfaction with the political
climate, not to mention the six weeks
of below-freezing weather. The
Belgians rendered their anxieties into tangible, life-like models: a defecating demon, a
humiliated king, and womenfolk getting buggered six ways to Sunday. Besides your typical
sexually graphic and politically riled caricatures, the Belgian snowmen, Eckstein discovered,
were often parodies of folklore figures, such as mermaids, unicorns, and village idiots.

article-image

The Snowman Trick (1950), illustration by Luke Limner,
Esq. (via Abaculi)

The snowman's place in the traditional Christmas
canon of jolly holiday diversions — along with ice-
skating and horse-drawn sleighs — gained a higher
status in the early Victorian era, when Prince Albert
thrust his penchant for German holiday fun onto
England. Santa Claus and the snowman became
ubiquitous icons who soared hand-in-hand o’er the land
of commodified Christmas kitsch.

article-image

A snowman receives
romantic advice from
dog in Hans Christian
Andersen's "Stories for
the Household" (1880s)
(via Internet Archive
Book Images)

The snowman’s lot in
life is complicated — he
is immobile, explicitly
impermanent, and
confined to an

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Winter's Effigies: The Deviant History of the Snowman | Atlas Obscura

existence of ruminating upon his fate. He is the perfect metaphorical example of the human
condition: longing for that which we cannot obtain, in his case touch and warmth. It's believed
that Hans Christian Andersen’s 1861 fairy tale, "The Snowman," wherein a snowman falls
unrequitedly in love with a stove, held symbolic implications of Andersen's infatuation with
Harald Scharff, a young ballet dancer at Copenhagen's Royal Theatre. Andersen wrote about
how the thing we love most can eventually destroy us, yet we happily sacrifice ourselves.
When the “stove-sick” snowman gazes upon the burning oven from outside, he cries:

It is my only wish, my biggest wish; it would almost be unfair if it wasn't granted. I must get in
and lean against her, even if I have to break a window.

Modern-day authors, filmmakers, and artists of every ilk have appropriated the Frosty-type
character as their own. The snowman has made appearances in hundreds of books and
magazines, dozens of films, and seems to materialize at every critical time and place in
history, just as long as Old Man Winter, Jack Frost, or any other personification of winter
blows his snowy breath onto the land. The snowman’s persona is safe and placid, politically
nonpartisan, unaffiliated with religion, and practically androgynous. Today’s snowman is
fashioned with much less political allegory in favor of cheap, empty, irony, as
he was commissioned to sell products such as liquor, laxatives, and rap albums.

Not unlike how the blank, smiling expression of a clown is inevitably considered creepy, the
snowman has a wicked layer beneath his pure face. A snowman has portrayed the evil villain
in slasher films and sci-fi TV shows, and depicted sexual humiliation in comic strips, kitschy
products, and your own neighbor’s front yard. Today’s snowman is as easily a malicious
serial killer as he is a fluffy children’s plaything. This marks the period Bob Eckstein refers to
as the snowman's White Trash Years (1975-2000).

Field of Japanese snowmen in Sapporo
(photograph by Angelina Earley)

You can wait for a blizzard and construct your
own demonic fornicating snowperson, or
head out to one of the hundreds of snowman
festivals and contests. For over 30 years the
Japanese city of Sapporo, in the Hokkaido
region, has hosted the Sapporo Snow
Festival where an infestation of 12,000 mini
snowmen cluster in a field, wearing cryptic
messages from their makers.

The stalwart "Jacob" (photograph by Schubbay)

There's also the Bischofsgrun Snowman Festival (Schneemannfest), held every February in
Bavaria, featuring “Jacob,” Germany’s liber gigantic snowman.

article-image

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Winter's Effigies: The Deviant History of the Snowman | Atlas Obscura

article-image

Olympia, in Bethel, Maine (photograph by ChrisDag)

But the prize for the world’s biggest
anthropomorphized snow pile goes to a snowlady
named Olympia, created in 2008 by the townsfolk of
Bethel, Maine, and named for the state senator
Olympia Snowe. Built in a month-long plow fest, the
122-foot -tall conical she-beast was decked in massive
snowflake jewels and six-foot-long eyelashes.

The strange ritual of the Sonoma snowmen
(photograph by Lynn Friedman)

Meanwhile in California,
every December Sonoma
Valley fires up the holiday
season with the Lighting of
the Snowman Festival. This is
what Californians do with a
decisively snowless region
during winter: plug in
hundreds of electrical
snowmen who appear to be
marching in military
formation.

Symbolically, destroying
a snowy effigy can mark the
end of icy months and the
tyranny of winter. In Zurich,
Switzerland, for example, a
giant snowman called the
Bdogg is plugged with
firecrackers and detonated to
the delight of the cheering
crowd.

At the Rose Sunday Festival
in Weinheim-an-der-
articie-image Bergstrasse, Germany, the

mayor leads a parade through town, beseeching the local children to behave obediently in
order to earn the privilege of spring. The children agree, naturally, and the townspeople
incinerate a straw snowman. Lake Superior State University commandeered this tradition in
the 1 970s with their own Snowman Burning Day. Over the years, LSSU’s annual 1 2-foot-tall
snowperson has represented slightly more political and social issues, whatever they feel

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needs symbolic burning, from sexism and cloning to the Ayatollah Khomeini and a rival
hockey team.

Explosion of the Boog in Switzerland (photograph by Roland
zh/Wikimedia)

Children and adults alike can therapeutically release their anger
onto the snowman — really let him have it — without much
consequence. Pelt him with snowballs, stab him, and run him over
with your car. He won't resent you! He’s harmless! That is, unless
you consider it harmful to endure listening to Perry Como’s 1953
rendition of the hit tune, "Frosty the Snowman."

"The Giant Goliath" snowman illustrated
by Franz Wiedemann (1860) (via
Wikimedia)

For more on this curious winter tradition,
we recommend Bob Eckstein's The
History of the Snowman.

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Wisconsin ‘Slenderman’ teen suspects will be tried for
attempted homicide as adults

rawstory.com

13 Mar 2015 at 18:52 ET

The case of two girls
accused of stabbing their
classmate 19 times to
please a fictional Internet
character known as
Slenderman will move
forward in adult court, a
Wisconsin judge ruled on
Friday.

Morgan Geyser and
Anissa Weier, who were
both 12 at the time, were

charged as adults with attempted first-degree homicide in the May 2014 attack on a
classmate in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bohren, who found in December that the girls
were competent to stand trial, ruled that there was probable cause to proceed with the case
in adult court.

The parents of Geyser and Weier declined to comment after Bohren’s ruling and walked out
of the courthouse crying and visibly shaken.

Prosecutors have said the girls lured their 12-year-old victim into the woods the morning after
a sleepover and stabbed her 19 times to impress Slenderman, a tall fictional online
bogeyman, according to authorities.

Wisconsin law requires cases to begin in adult court if they involve juvenile suspects at least
10 years old who are charged with first-degree attempted intentional homicide.

The girls could be sentenced to up to 60 years in prison if they are convicted as adults on the
charges. After his ruling, attorneys for the girls asked Bohren to set a hearing on whether the
case should be heard in juvenile court.

In juvenile court, the girls could be imprisoned only up to age 25 if convicted. He scheduled a
hearing for May 26 on the request.

Geyser’s attorney, Anthony Cotton, has argued that Bohren should dismiss the first-degree
charge because it requires the crime to have occurred without any mitigating circumstances.

“I can’t find at this time that the mitigating circumstances exist," Bohren said.

Four police officers, who testified for prosecutors, told the court that the girls did not show any
remorse, tried to cover up the crime and planned the attack for months.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien; Editing by Bill Trott and Sandra Mater)

Watch a report on the ruling, as aired on WTMJ-TV, below.

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The Old in the Forest: Wolf T rees of New England & Farther Afield

atlasobscura.com

A New England wolf tree: White oak (photograph
by Ray Asselin via his "Timberturner + Bowl wood
Woodturning" blog, used with permission)

Old trees resonate with us because they seem to
bridge our own animal-time and the other, slower
schedules of the planet. While the antiquity of the
most aged bristlecone pine, even the most aged
quaking-aspen root mass (all praise the Trembling
Giant!), doesn’t approach the deep time of stone,
trees certainly link us to the mysterious clock of
climate. We preoccupy ourselves with the day-to-
day action of the weather; they've staked their
survival on the bigger- picture rhythms of the
atmosphere. Great trees are the go-betweens from
the realm of flesh-and-blood to those of sky and
rock. They're also aloof witnesses to the frantic escapades of the human race — one reason that they can
be such tangible touchstones for our own personal and social histories, and why the injury or death of a
familiar old one can be so unsettling.

We commonly call ancient trees persisting in a landscape that's dramatically changed within then-
lifespan “legacy trees.” In the Northeast, meanwhile, there's a special brand of legacy tree found
scattered in that region's dramatically regrown forests: the “wolf tree.” In the strictest sense, wolf trees
are those spared the axe during widespread Colonial-era deforestation in order to provide shade for
livestock or mark a boundary. As second- and third-growth woods filled in abandoned pasture and
farmland, these titans have become crowded by dense, spindly youngsters. Where those upstarts are
tall and narrow, competing fiercely for canopy light, the wolf tree they surround has fat, laterally extended
boughs and a comparatively squat trunk — a testament to the open, sunny country in which it once
prospered.

Why “wolf?” Most suggest it stems from foresters comparing these ponderous relics to rapacious
predators sapping sunlight and nutrients from the more economical (and less eccentric) timber
swamping them. In Reading the Forested Landscape - which interprets New England's countryside with
historical ecology - Tom Wessels associates the name with lone wolves, outlaws in the face of
civilization. (17) Regardless, the term is a good one: These trees, full of wildness, are as stirring to come
upon as a fresh paw-print in the snow.

Wolf maple in a red-pine plantation, Vermont (photo by David W. Fiaas, NPS/via Wikimedia Commons)

In his book, Wessels advocates the alternate moniker “pasture tree,” which does describe the history of
many of these Northeastern wolf trees. While an 18th or 19th century farmer might completely clearcut a
fertile valley to plant crops or grow hay, large tracts of the region's rolling uplands — ridden with glacially
deposited stones and boulders — were more roughly "improved" for grazing acreage. This logged-over
landscape, called “bushpasture,” often featured big, solitary trees retained to shelter flocks and herds.
(16) While any suitably large tree might be chosen, oaks figure prominently among New England's wolf
trees — unsurprising, given how widespread oak (and oak-chestnut) woodlands were in the stony hills
and plateaus commonly converted to livestock range.

Touring upstate New York in the 1840s, the British writer Frederick Marryat marveled at the fast clip at
which pioneers were felling the woods and documented the process by which future wolf trees were born
( 12 ):

article-image

"Occasionally some solitary tree is left standing,
throwing its wide arms, and appearing as if in
lamentation at its separation from its
companions, with whom for centuries it had
been in close fellowship."

In the second half of the 19th century, many farms
began to be abandoned, and post-agricultural forest
regrowth began across large swaths of the Northeast.
As Robert Th orson writes in Stone by Stone , a history
of the region’s stone walls (1 6):

"Trees sprouted in old pastures like whiskers
left uncut, enveloping their bordering stone
walls in shade. Beginning about 1870, the forest
area began to double every 20 years or so."

To illustrate: Seventy-six percent of Worcester County in Massachusetts was in cultivation or pasture in
1876; roughly a century later, such open ground occupied just thirteen percent. (8)

In central New England, many old, open-grown eastern white pines
represent second-generation wolf trees, dating from the early years of
widespread farm abandonment in the region. As a sun-loving pioneer tree
that can produce voluminous seed crops, white pine was well poised to
invade the feral meadows {alongside other opportunistic species such as
eastern red-cedar and common juniper). These old-field pines nourished
a thrumming timber industry in the first decades of the 20th century. This
harvest turned out mostly to be a one-time shot: Because they languish in
shade, there weren't pine saplings waiting in the understory to replace the
mature trees felled, and furthermore, pines don't sprout after cutting. So it
was primarily hardwoods — red oak, black birch, white ash, and others —
that took over once the big pines were logged, and it's those broadleaf
trees that now blanket much of the region. Enough wolf pines remain to
speak to the post-agricultural old-field phase the landscape tried out for
awhile. Many brandish multiple trunks, making them look like giant
upturned tarantulas. And many, overtopped by the hardwoods, have been
dead for years and stand as barren snags. (8,18)

pines

Indeed, wolf trees of all stripes tend to be deteriorating, given the crowding and shading that now define
them. Their heavy, wide-spreading limbs, nourished once by full sun, are now light-starved and too
energetically costly to maintain. {For more insight into the region's landscape changes, check out
the online version of a classic, much-celebrated series of dioramas depicting a generalized history of
central New England’s forests, housed at the Fisher Museum at the Flarvard Forest.)

New England white-oak wolf tree and stone wall {photograph by Ray Asselin via his "Timberturner +
Bowlwood Woodturning" blog, used with permission)

Plenty of phantoms mill about around wolf trees. Take a 350-year-old white oak in New England, snaking
its dying branches through doghair maples and hemlocks. It summons up a whole gang of ghosts, and
not just those of cattle or sheep or axe-wielding woodchoppers taking a breather under its canopy — older
ones yet. There’s the ghost of lightning- and (especially) Indian-sparked fire, a force that, as in so many
areas, helped maintain oak, intolerant of shade and slow-growing, amid a landscape capable of growing
dense mixed-hardwood forest. Observers of the pre-colonial oak-chestnut woodlands of Northeastern
uplands often commented on their remarkable openness, noting you "might drive a four-horse chariot in
the midst of the trees." (1)

IbIkXVC* - -- _ •-afll * . .jV"Il^WHI

An eastern white pine in Wisconsin,
exhibiting the multi-trunked form shared
by many of New England's otd-field

article-image

Like free-roaming ground fires, the pigeons
are gone, but the old oak {on which the birds
may have once congregated) conjures their
spirit all the same. Surrendering our
imaginations fully to flights of space-time, we
might even sense in its presence the closing
centuries of the Pleistocene, when blue jays
and other acorn-eaters hastened the
migration of this white oak's ancestors
article-image northward from Ice Age strongholds in the

Southeast. Oaks reclaimed the Northeast some 10,000 years ago as a warming, drying climate, which
had already chased the continental ice sheet poleward, edged out boreal-style spruce forest. (1) Seen at
the proper scale, trees travel: retreating as conditions adverse to their growth set in, advancing where
their optimal habitat develops. And the thronging that wolf trees now endure reminds us of the quiet
battles plants wage upon each other; of the dynamic, fluid nature of ecosystems; and of the dual role of
the human being as animal within those ecosystems and as a force of disturbance upon them.

Another phenomenon besides fire, an avian one, may have been just as
important in keeping white oaks around in New England. Passenger
pigeons, once by far the most numerous bird on the continent {and maybe
the planet), favored the acorns of red oaks over white, and existed in
great-enough numbers to perhaps suppress the former to the benefit of
the latter. (4) Furthermore, flocks of pigeons could be so enormous that
the trees they roosted in sometimes collapsed under their weight. Such
treefall would allow sunlight into an otherwise closed forest, providing
good conditions for a seedling oak unable to survive in heavy shade.

The vanished passenger pigeon is intimately
connected to oaks in the Midwest and the
East (from The New Student's Reference
Work, v. 3, 1914, p. 1489/via Wikimedia
Commons)

In September 1841, while traveling south through the haze-filled Rogue River Valley, members of the
United States Exploring Expedition encountered an elderly Indian woman, intently “ blowing a brand to set
fire to the woods. ” The small detachment of Navy officers and their associates had struggled during
previous days over mountains covered by charred vegetation and through canyons filled with smoke, the
result of native-set fires. Expedition artist Titian Ramsay Peale described the woman — who was dressed
in a “mantle of antelope or deer skin” and wore a “cup-shaped" basketry cap — as “so busy setting fire to
the prairie and mountain ravines that she seemed to disregard us.”

the Land)

— Jeff LaLande & Reg Pullen {from Indians, Fire and

While the wolf trees of the Northeast may tell a fairly specific story of Euro-American land use, others
exist in many other places — that is, if we consider a wolf tree as any open-grown stalwart now mobbed
by younger woods. They're particularly common wherever fire suppression {and, in some cases, the
cessation of grazing) has converted savanna to forest. Find them, say, in such far-flung regions as the
Midwest, the Cross Timbers, the Intermountain West, and the Mediterranean-climate valleys of the West
Coast.

Like their counterparts in the New England uplands, Indians in Oregon's Willamette Valley, such as the
Kalapuya, burned prairies and oak savannas yearly. Flere, the fire season was late summer and early
autumn, before the fall rains commenced. These burns sometimes confounded Euro-American travelers,
who were hard-pressed to find forage for their horses amid great sweeps of charred countryside.

Nonetheless, settlers did notice the surging green-up of prairie grasses on the heels of these Indian
fires, and celebrated the beauty of the flame-managed Garry-oak groves, which, in 1847, the pioneer
Joel Palmer said appeared “like old orchards” from afar. (2)

As the anthropologist Robert Boyd has noted, the
Kalapuya and other Western Oregon Indians
apparently burned lowland valleys for a variety of
reasons. The fires both improved their ability to
locate deer and elk and enhanced the local habitat
for these ungulates by promoting a lush growth of
grass. Furthermore, aboriginal cultures here and in
a number of other regions in the Far West
implemented an autumn “circle deer hunt,” during
which flames were used to flush and funnel game.
In the Willamette Valley, Indians also used burning
to improve the harvest of foods such as tarweed,
hazelnuts, acorns, berries, camas, bracken, and
grasshoppers, and they cultivated tobacco in ash
beds. (2)

Garry-oak savanna, central Willamette Valley

With the ebb of traditional Indian lifeways in the valley beginning in the mid-1800s, fire ceased to be an
important landscape-sculpting force. Without regular burns or analogous disturbance, the Willamette
appears to convert to forest, as evidenced by the steady invasion of old, airy oak stands by Douglas-firs,
grand firs, and bigleaf maples. Douglas-firs, which are shade-intolerant, can colonize a sun-dappled oak
savanna but, if other trees start growing up beneath them, will be ultimately unable to reproduce. Thus
today, many a deep wood on the Willamette Valley floor has multiple cohorts of wolf trees: dead or
waning old-growth oaks mixed with huge, wild-armed Douglas-firs that first seized the dying oak savanna
— and both now thronged by younger trees.

I grew up blocks from an overgrown southeastern Wisconsin oak opening:
Downer Woods, an 11-acre forest on the grounds of the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Its grandest trees are scattered Halloween oaks —
white, red, and bur — that wolfishly hark back to a bygone
landscape. Evidence suggests these hoary, twisted monarchs seeded
back in the mid-to-late 1700s in an Indian-burned landscape. By the
1830s, the oaks — which likely escaped harvest due to their uncommercial
Garry-oak wolf tree, sauvie island f orm — presided over pasture for decades. Once the land became a
college campus, no longer swept clear either by fire or rubbery-lipped grazers, trees and shrubs invaded
the former parkland. (14) Today, ashes and basswoods form a closed-canopy wood studded by those
monumental wolf oaks.

Some Indians regarded Euro-American fire suppression in western
Oregon's valleys quizzically. As LaLande and Pullen write in their account
of aboriginal burning in the southwestern part of the state (in Indians, Fire
and the Land), “The change moved one Klamath man to complain to
ethnographer Omer Stewart that *[n]ow I just hear the deer running
through the brush at places we used to kill many deer.' He pointed out
that when the brush ‘got as thick as it is now, we would burn it off.'” (9)

Just as a wolf tree is marooned in heavy woods, many other legacy trees stand out for their isolation in
drastically altered environments. In the Pacific Northwest, some record-sized conifers tower, spared and
orphaned, in vast clearcuts (where they're almost certainly doomed to topple in wind): Consider Big
Lonely Doug on Vancouver Island, for example, recently deemed the second-biggest Douglas-fir in
Canada. And there's the Lone (or Sentinel) Cypress, a huge old-growth bald-cypress that once served

as a navigation marker on the marshy shores of Lake Okeechobee and
today stands in the town of Moore Haven, the lake (diminished in extent
by water-control measures) now several miles away.

Cousin to the old pasture trees of New England are the centuries-old
oaks, beeches, yews, and other veterans of (old) England's “greenwood.”
These behemoth ancients also register the hand of humans upon the
countryside: Many reflect years of pollarding or coppicing (the repeated
cutting of a trunk to keep harvesting young, straight-growing wood from
the same tree), and grow in woodlands once intensely pastured or royal
forests preserved as exclusive hunting retreats. Some are truly celebrated
monuments in Britain, including the Major Oak of Sherwood Forest (in
folklore, the shelter of Robin Hood and his Merry Men) and the many
sylvan elders of the Savernake Forest, such as the Big Belly Oak and the
King of Limbs.

The Big Belly Oak of Savernake Forest (photo by Jim Champion/via
Wikimedia Commons)

As in the Northeast, these trees can starkly reference our own history, our
own touch upon the landscape. But the temporal power of the legacy tree
extends beyond its reminders of historical time — that of farmers,
shepherds, hangings, and crossroads. It also displays in lonely solitude
the majestically drawn-out aging and dying and decay process that any
tree showcases if let alone. In these processes, it evokes what Jay
Griffiths has termed “wild time” (7): that primal dimension enfolding rock,
air, water, wood, and flesh against which the frenetic and neurotic human
clock struggles, ultimately in vain.

“The wolf trees are a forest anachronism — old-growth features in a young
forest,” Michael Gaige, a New York-based conservation biologist with a
passion for "wolves," has written. (5) Essentially they inject a little old-
growth flavor into second-growth woods. They exhibit some classic characteristics of ancient trees,
architectural features common across many species. These include heavily plated or flaky bark; patches
of bald wood on the lower bole; a spiral grain and/or sinuous wave to the trunk; swollen bases or
exposed, buttressed roots; collared clefts and cavities; and a canopy composed of relatively few, heavy,
twisted branches. And many trees — notably conifers, but also oaks and some other hardwoods — often
display a jagged, multi-pronged deadwood crown: a “staghead” or “spiketop” tree. (11,15,18) These
structural and textural features arise from the aging cycle, interactions with neighboring trees, and the
tattoos and war wounds a long-lived tree accumulates from its environment.

Sugar-maple wolf tree snag (photograph by Ray Asselin via his "Timberturner + Bowiwood Woodturning"
blog, used with permission)

With their great mass and their knotty, fissured surface, wolf trees call to many creatures (flying squirrels,
woodpeckers, etc.) in ways that comparatively prim, proper, and structurally simple young trees don’t.
Studies — from the New England woods to a commercially cut coast-redwood forest in Mendocino
County, California — suggest wolf trees and other old-growth relics support greater wildlife diversity and
use than the sprightlier trees around them. (10) In Vermont, Gaige noted mammals as big as coyotes
denning in wolf trees. (6) (Any big tree can be a wildlife beacon: A study in the Willamette Valley showed
the importance to birds of standalone old-growth Garry oaks in farmfields and pasture. [3] The island-like
habitat formed by such open-country trees is similar to that of wolf trees, adrift as they are in second- or
third-growth of strikingly different stature.)

The wolf oaks of Downer Woods,
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
campus

article-image

The ecological services a wolf tree provides aren't
confined to its lifespan. Dead trees — particularly
big ones that rot over length periods, like American
chestnut in the East and western red-cedar in the
Northwest, or a conifer flash-killed by fire and left
as a slow-decaying snag — continue to offer habitat
and forage for countless organisms, from wood-
processing fungi to nesting raptors, on a scale of
decades or centuries.

Cascade Range, Oregon

Legacy trees
suggest the multiple
identities of a given
landscape. The
tombstone snags of
widely spaced
ponderosa pines
looming in a thick,
post-fire-suppression wood of fir and larch on the
eastern slopes of the Cascade Range describe a
spectral savanna with a contemporary conifer
forest superimposed upon it. The wolf oaks of New
England echo pre-Columbian fire- and pigeon-
tended woodlands as well as erstwhile colonial
bushpasture. So wolf-tree country is overgrown
rangeland, overgrown savanna — but also just a
new kind of modern-day forest, too, a dense, dark
one sprinkled with the occasional noble hulk to lock
you right into time, and to take you right out of it.

Toppled wolf oak
(photograph by Ray
Asselin via his
"Timberturner +
Bowlwood
Woodturning" blog,
used with
permission)

Bush Pasture Park,
Salem, Oregon: Oak
savanna->Pastu re--
>City park (open-
grown Garry oaks
intact)

1. Bonnicksen,
Thomas M.
America's Ancient
Forests: From the
Ice Age to the Age
of Discovery. New
York: John Wiley &

ailicte-image

Sons, Inc., 2000.

2. Boyd, Robert. “Strategies of Indian Burning in the Willamette Valley.” Indians, Fire and the Land
in the Pacific Northwest. Ed. Robert Boyd. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 1999. 94-
138.

3. DeMars, Craig, et al. "Multi-scale Factors Affecting Bird Use of Isolated Remnant Oak Trees in
Agro-ecosystems." Biological Conservation 143 (2010): 1486-1492.

4. Ellsworth, Joshua W. and Brenda C. McComb. “Potential Effects of Passenger Pigeon Flocks on
the Structure and Composition of Presettlement Forests of Eastern North America.” Conservation
Biology 17 (2003): 1548-1558.

5. Gaige, Michael. “A Place for Wolf Trees.” Northern Woodlands Spring 2011.

6. Gaige, Michael. “Wolf Trees: Elders of the Eastern Forest." American Forests Fall 2014.

7. Griffiths, Jay. A Sideways Look at Time. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2004.

8. Jorgensen, Neil. A Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide to Southern New England. San Francisco:
Sierra Club Books, 1978.

9. LaLande, Jeff and Reg Pullen. "Burning for a 'Fine and Beautiful Open Country': Native Uses of
Fire in Southwestern Oregon." Indians, Fire and the Land in the Pacific Northwest. Ed. Robert
Boyd. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 1999. 255-276.

10. Mazurek, M.J. and William J. Zielinski. “The Importance of the Individual Legacy Old-growth
Tree in the Maintenance of Biodiversity in Commercial Redwood Forests.” U.S. Forest Service
Pacific Southwest Research Station Report, 2003.

11. Pederson, Neil. “External Characteristics of Old Trees in the Eastern Deciduous Forest.”
Natural Areas Journal 30: 396-407.

12. Perlin, John. A Forest Journey: The Role of Wood in the Development of Civilization. New
York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1989.

13. Perry, David A., Ram Oren, and Stephen C. Flart. Forest Ecosystems. 2nd ed. Baltimore: The
John Flopkins University Press, 2008.

14. Salamun, Peter J. “A Botanical History of Downer Woods.” The University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee Field Stations Bulletin 5.2 (1972): 1-9.

15. Stahle, David W. “Tree Rings and Ancient Forest History.” Eastern Old-Growth Forests:
Prospects for Rediscovery and Recovery. Ed. Mary Byrd Davis. Washington, D.C.: Island Press,
1996. 321-343.

16. Thorson, Robert. Stone by Stone: The Magnificent History of New England's Stone Walls. New
York: Walker & Company, 2002.

17. Wessels, Tom. Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England.
Woodstock, VT: The Countryman Press, 1997.

18. Wessels, Tom. Forest Forensics: A Field Guide to Reading the Forested Landscape.
Woodstock, VT: The Countryman Press, 2010.

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Woman Denied Entry At Disney’s Magic Kingdom For Trying To

Bring In Baby Bengal Tiger inquisitr.com

Posted in: Odd News Posted: April 7, 2015

Woman Denied Entry At Disney’s Magic Kingdom For T rying To Bring In Baby Bengal
Tiger

There are those that who to be
eccentric and those who think
they are just flat-out normal, but
not everyone agrees with them.
Such was the case of a guest
who tried to enter the Magic
Kingdom park in Walt Disney
World on Monday with her pet,
but she was not allowed entry.
While some service animals are
allowed entry, the woman could
not bring in her pet because it
was a baby Bengal tiger.

Yes, the unidentified woman tried to bring a baby Bengal tiger into the theme park, but Cast
Members at the entrance denied her entry. After a bit or arguing, the Central Florida Zoo was
called to retrieve the baby Bengal tiger until the end of the woman’s vacation.

Today I got to help find a temporary home for
this one week old bengal cub after his owner
unsuccessfully attempted to take him into the
Magic Kingdom. Many thanks to David Tetzlaff,
the vice president of operations from the
Central Florida Zoo and his wonderful wife for

According to a source
close to the situation who
needed to remain
anonymous, the woman
became extremely irate
and actually started
claiming that Disney was
making up the “no tigers

allowed” rule on the spot.

Per the Walt Disney World
website, service animals
are allowed in the park as
long as they are on a

leash and always in the control of the guest. Cast Members are not allowed to take control of

caring after this little guy while his owners
enjoyed the parks. Just another typical day on
the Islands of Caribbean Beach loll

disney world magic kingdom baby bengai tiger

the animals at any time.

On the website, it does not specifically state which animals are allowed in the parks, but it
does list rules and restricted areas.

“Cast Members are not permitted to take control of service animals. Guests with
service animals should follow the same attraction entrance guidelines as Guests
who use wheelchairs.

“Due to the nature of some attractions, service animals may not be permitted to
ride. At these locations, please ask a Cast Member about available options,
including Rider Switch with a member of your party or a portable kennel."

Upon first being told that the baby tiger was not allowed in Magic Kingdom, the female guest,
who is said to have been visiting from Dubai, became extremely angry. She was speaking
with Disney Guest Relations and at first would not accept the fact that she couldn’t bring the
tiger into the park.

After a long time period of speaking about the tiger and reassuring her that the animal would
be well treated and taken care of during her time in Walt Disney World, the woman did agree
to let the animal caretakers from the Central Florida Zoo care for it.

Disney would not comment on the situation when reached this evening.

As of now, it may not be posted everywhere, but there are rules for bringing wild jungle cats
and other such dangerous animals into Walt Disney World. For the woman who tried to bring
a baby Bengal tiger into Magic Kingdom, she learned the hard way.

[Image via Kenny the Pirate]

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Daughter dug grave for will

stuff.co.nz

A US woman who told police she dug up her father's grave in search of his "real will" but
found only vodka and cigarettes has pleaded guilty.

Melanie Nash was one of four accused in the plan to open Eddie Nash's vault in Colebrook,
New Hampshire, then rifle through his casket last May in a scene a prosecutor compared to
an Edgar Allan Poe story.

Police said she felt she was shorted in her share of the inheritance after her father died in
2004.

They didn't find a different will in the casket.

The 53-year-old Nash pleaded guilty in court on Monday (local time) to charges of criminal
mischief, interference with a cemetery, conspiracy and abuse of a corpse. Her sentencing is
scheduled for May 5.

Two others pleaded guilty; a third person was acquitted.

- AP

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Scorpion Stings Passenger on Plane at LAX

By Willian Avila and Joe Studley

Updated at 1:38 PM ESTon Sunday, Feb 15, 2015

nbcmiami.com

An Alaska Airlines flight out of Los Angeles
International Airport was delayed Saturday
night after a passenger said they were stung by
a scorpion on the plane, airline officials said.

Flight 567, which was carrying two college
basketball teams, was preparing to depart at
7:50 p.m. for Portland, Ore., when the sting
was reported, Alaska Airlines spokesman Cole
Cosgrove said.

The female passenger was checked out by medics at the gate and released, but didn’t
continue on the flight, Cosgrove said.

The scorpion was found and killed by the crew, who checked overhead compartments for any
additional unwanted arachnids, Cosgrove said.

It was unclear how the scorpion got on the plane. The flight originated from Los Cabos,
Mexico, Cosgrove said.

Both Oregon State University Men's and The University of Portland's Women's Basketball
teams were aboard the flight to go home after weekend games in Los Angeles, according to
Oregon State University radio play-by-play announcer Mike Parker.

The flight was delayed by 40 minutes.

Olivia Woo and The Associated Press contributed to this repoti.

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Woman's mummified body 'buried under rubbish' next to 300
bottles of urine

mirror.co.uk

Woman's mummified body found 'buried under rubbish' next to 300 bottles of urine in
'hoarder house'

• 09:16, 7 April 2015

• By David Raven

The smell was so bad firefighters had to wear oxygen masks. They reportedly found
rat infested piles of rotting litter reaching the ceiling and human waste

Mummified body found next to 300 bottles of urine

The mummified remains of a
woman believed to be in her
90s found buried under piles
of rubbish in a 'hoarder's
house' may have lain
undiscovered for five years.

Police raiding the property
reportedly found 300 bottles
of urine, dozens of rats, bugs,
piles of rotting litter reaching
the ceiling, mould and human
waste.

The rotting body was found wrapped in a blanket under a mountain of rubbish, according to
US media.

Mummified body found next to 300 bottles of urine

Mystery: The body may have lain
undiscovered for five years, it is
claimed

The vile San Francisco find is thought
to be one of the worst incidents of
hoarding in American history.

Local politician Victor Lim said the
woman may have been dead for at
least five years and her 65-year-old
daughter lived upstairs.

She is believed to be receiving medical

treatment.

Police were first alerted to the house when the property was put up for auction and the

woman inside the property asked for legal help, reports say.

Mummified body found next to 300 bottles of urine

professional cleaning crew.

Filthy: Piles of rubbish can be seen

■ — from outside of the house

But when the lawyer arrived, she told
officers about the condition of the
home.

Mr Lim told the LA Times: “It’s almost
unprecedented. This is not typical in
San Francisco.”

The property was reportedly so filthy
that police were unable to find the
woman's body, so they hired a

Workers filled several dumpsters of rubbish before finding the remains and notifying the fire
department.

Firefighters had to wear oxygen masks to enter the home because of the smell, the LA Times
adds.

Police are still investigating how the woman died and nobody has so far been charged.

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WW1: A baby called Somme

bbc.com

On 20 March 1917, a baby girl was born in Northfleet, Kent, and given a name heavy with
history - Somme, writes Mark Sanders.

She's carried that name throughout her long life, in memory of the father she never knew.

Her birth certificate records her full name: Tiny Somme Gray. "Tiny" was her mother's
nickname, "Somme" marks the tragedy that tore through the family. Her father Herbert Gray
was killed in the Battle of the Somme just five months before her birth.

Tiny Somme Gray, later to become Hammond, has just turned 98 and lives in a care home in
Gravesend.

She explains how some
people react to her name:
"There’s a name, they say.
What you got that for? My
father was killed on The
Somme, that's why. Oh, they
say, I wouldn't want to be
named after that."

Every time she signs her
name or sees it on an official
document, she's reminded of
her father. "Every time,
whenever I have to put my
name Tiny Somme. I'm very
proud of it, always have
been."

Herbert Gray's wife Emma
thought he wouldn't be called
up to fight because of his job
at a cement works. But
Herbert left this important
wartime industry to earn more
money at a paper mill. He
was eventually conscripted in
1916 and while on leave in
June that year, his daughter was conceived. Pte Herbert Gray of The Sherwood Foresters
was killed four months later - one of 420,000 British casualties in the battle.

One German officer, Friedrich Steinbrecher, wrote of the bloodbath: "Somme. The whole
history of the world cannot contain a more ghastly word."

Herbert's widow Emma never
talked about his death with
her daughter and never really
explained why she called her
only child Somme. "It's a very
special name I said to my
mum. Well, she said, you
can't forget your name."

As a little girl, Tiny Somme
was sometimes teased by
children for having a name
"out in France". In 1923,
when just six, she was at the
unveiling of the Northfleet War Memorial, where her father's name is inscribed. Her mother
would never go there.

And yet, she gave her daughter a name that would act as a living memorial to the man who
would never return from the Somme.

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Zana: Did DNA Tests Show 19th Century ‘Half Human, Half Ape’

Abkhazian Woman ‘100% Sub-Saharan African’? inquisitr.com

Posted in: Theories Posted: April 4, 2015

A great deal of confused speculation has developed around the biological identity of a “wild
woman” named Zana, who reportedly lived during the 19th century in a remote village called
T’Khina in Abkhazia, south of Russia.

Zana, described by eyewitnesses as an athletic and muscular six-foot, six-inch “half-human,
half ape” woman covered in auburn hair “who could outrun a horse,” was reportedly captured
in the mountainous forests of the Ochamchir region of Abkhazia in the 1 850’s by a group of
hunters hired by a local merchant.

She resisted her captors violently. But she was subdued and sold to a local nobleman who
made her serve as a household servant and sex slave.

Eyewitness accounts compared her to a wild beast with an “expression which was pure
animal.” Her fierce resistance likely contributed to exaggerated tales of her physical prowess.

Although, evidence indicates that she was human, people have speculated that she was
“non-human.” Some have suggested that she was an Almas, while others have suggested
that she was a surviving Neanderthal.

The facts about the woman, including the details of her physical features and appearance,
appeared to have been exaggerated by witnesses who, being overwhelmed by their
impression of her “wildness” at the time she was captured, and her distinctive features,
tended to give accounts that emphasized supposedly non-human “ape-like” traits, including
extraordinary strength and physique.

She was forced into sexual relations with local men, including a man called Edgi Genaba, and
gave birth to several children. Contemporary accounts indicated that her children were
human in appearance, behavior and adaptability. Thus, the impression that she was “non-
human” might have been due to her state at the time she was found, after having lived and
survived apparently alone under harsh conditions in the wild.

Four of her children survived to adulthood: Two boys, Dzhanda and Khwit, born in 1878 and
1884 respectively, and two girls, Kodzhanar and Gamasa, born in 1880 and 1882
respectively. The children reportedly grew up as normal human adults, married and had
families of their own.

Zana herself reportedly died in 1890.

Speculation after her death that she might have been an Almas, Yeti, a Neanderthal or some
other exotic or cryptozoological species led Dr. Grover Krantz to examine Khwit’s skull in
1990.

Krantz’s pronouncement that the skull was human, with no Neanderthal traits, suggests that
Zana could have been a member of an ancient aboriginal group racially/ethnically distinct
from modern groups in Abkhazia that arrived later and likely forced the gradual extinction of
the original inhabitants of the area.

Conclusions by another anthropologist, who reportedly also examined the skull, appear to
support the theory that Zana was an aboriginal human. The anthropologist reportedly noted
that although Khwit’s skull was different from the skulls of other Abkhazia males, it was
apparently human.

Indications that Zana was a member of an aboriginal human population possibly dating back
to the Neolithic, but driven to extinction by later arrivals, developed a new twist when the
University of Oxford professor of human genetics Bryan Sykes concluded after conducting
DNA tests that Zana was of “100% Sub-Saharan origin” and that she could have been a slave
brought to Abkhazia under the Ottoman Empire.

According to Sykes, DNA tests on saliva samples taken from living descendants of Zana and
DNA recovered from a tooth taken from the skull of Khwit showed that Zana was “100% Sub-
Saharan African” and possibly a slave brought to the region by the Ottomans.

“The most obvious solution that springs to mind is that Zana or her ancestors were
brought from Africa to Abkhazia as slaves, when it was part of the slave trading
Ottoman Empire."

The unfortunate aspect of Sykes’ confused “expert” speculation for the Channel 4
documentary Bigfoot Files, was that he did not clarify sufficiently what he meant when he said
that Zana was “100% Sub-Saharan African.”

The professor’s confusion about the results of his DNA tests is indicated in subsequent
speculation that Zana might have come from a population of ancient protohumans that left
Africa in prehistoric times, about 100,000 years ago. His subsequent speculation creates
uncertainty about whether Sykes thought that Zana was a modern Sub-Saharan African
(read: Black African) or a descendant of a protohuman species ancestral to modern humans
that migrated out of Africa in prehistoric times.

The confusion inherent to Sykes’s speculation is better appreciated when it is understood that
anthropologists believe that all human races are descended from a protohuman species that
migrated out of Africa tens of thousands of years ago. Thus, in a sense, all human races are
of “Sub-Saharan African” origin.

The major genetic distinction between “Sub-Saharan Africans" and other modern races is that
European and Asian races have significant Neanderthal admixture but “sub-Saharan
Africans” do not.

Thus, Sykes’ statement that Zana was “100% Sub-Saharan African” could simply be an
ineloquent way of saying that Zana was genetically similar to Africans because, unlike
Europeans and Asians, she carried no significant Neanderthal genes.

Besides, eyewitness descriptions of Zana as being “very big and strong with her whole body
covered in hair” does not suggest she was modern Sub-Saharan African.

Needless to say, modern Sub-Saharan Africans rank among the more prominently glabrous
(smooth-skinned and hairless) of human races and there are no known Black African groups
that have “whole body covered with hair,” not to mention “auburn hair.”

“But that theory [100% Sub-Saharan
African’ theory] would not explain her
extraordinary features, described by
reliable eyewitnesses... And [thus]
Sykes has raised the bold theoretical
possibility that Zana could be a remnant of an earlier human migration out of
Africa, perhaps tens of thousands, of years ago.”

Zana's Son Khwit And Granddaughter

Hairiness is a trait of European races, not
of Africans. African women are even more
noticeably glabrous and only very rarely
remarkably big and strong, muscular and
aggressive, as eyewitness descriptions of
Zana suggested she was.

However, evidence in support of existence of aboriginal groups that predated the present
populations in the Caucasus region comes from popular accounts of “wild men” in the region.
One could conclude that the aboriginal populations, if they ever existed, were descendants of
protohumans who never interbred with Neanderthals and thus constituted an ethnically or
racially distinct group compared with modern Eurasians.

It amounts to obscurantist mischief pandering, for the sake of TV ratings, to the racist
stereotype of the “ape-like” African to dub aboriginals whom Sykes speculated had lived in
the Eurasian continent for tens of thousands of years “100% Sub-Saharan African.”

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Has this woman been attacked by a ghost?

mirror.co.uk

“I couldn’t believe what I was looking at”: Newlywed woman claims 'ghost'
ATTACKED her in new home

. 19:20, 2 April 2015
• By Danny Walker

Appearing in new documentary When Ghosts Attack, Jules Ness claims she
heard footsteps just before being attacked while her new house was
ransacked

A newlywed woman has recalled the moment she claims a ghost attacked her and
her husband.

Appearing in new documentary When Ghosts Attack, Jules Ness claims she heard
footsteps just before being attacked while her new house was ransacked.

The house that was locked at the time, according to the South Dakota resident.

In the chilling documentary on Really, she says that the alleged incident happened
late one Friday night as the couple went to bed just after midnight.

Jules says: “I heard heavy footsteps moving very slow and very loud... then we
could hear it come around the bend and towards the bedroom.”

The woman from Lennox was offered a 100-year-old Victorian home for next to
nothing.

With a small baby and even smaller budget, it was a deal that Ness and her new
husband couldn't refuse.

The young couple soon discovered after just 38 days that the house is not what it
seemed, when they encountered, what the documentary refer to as 'a diabolical
entity seeking revenge for the home's violent past'.

Later in the doc, Jules says: “All of a sudden we heard a huge crash downstairs in
the kitchen. My husband dashed downstairs full speed thinking he was going to
find someone...”

Watch the video to see what happened next as When Ghosts Attack reconstruct
the alleged incident.

She adds: “I couldn’t believe what I
was looking at.”

Also in the show the Stinson family
embodies the all-American dream.

Joy and her loving husband,

Jamie, are quietly raising their
three beautiful daughters in Mt.
Hermon, La. But soon after Joy
visits a haunted plantation, wicked
forces befall her home, turning it
into a haven of demonic

* When Ghosts Attack is on tonight, Thursday 2 April, at 10pm on Really

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Really

possession and brutal attacks.

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